The Fall of Domino
by Darev
Summary: Prologue Story. Ch.3: A final sacrifice is made and the Company of Light makes a dangerous decision to ensure it was not in vain.
1. The Fall of Domino

**Author: The long-awaited return of _Freshmen Year_ has come at last. This story is actually a prologue to the major project. I've split it into three parts. It tells the final hours of the Kingdom of Domino and focuses on the Company of Light. See if you recognize all of the names and characters. The title of the main story will simply be titled _Freshmen. _I've changed a great deal of the plot. Suffice to say it will be taking place in an alternate storyline, where all the characters are freshmen and are attending their respective schools. But that's later. Here we focus solely on the Company of Light. Events in this prologue will have major consequences for future chapters so listen up!**

**Have fun and enjoy!

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Disclaimer: First and foremost, I do not own Winx Club nor do I financially benefit from the making of this story. I do this for the fun of it and because I enjoy interacting with other aspiring writers and fanfic enthusiasts.**

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1. The Fall of Domino (Part One)

* * *

"_How do you stop a fire when the other side controls all the water? – General Lach - Gene Rodenbury's Andromeda

* * *

_

The battle was lost. Domino lay in ruin. What little remained of the once magnificent kingdom would be swept away in the coming darkness. The clouds were so thick they blotted out the sun. But these were no ordinary clouds. Black magic had conjured up a storm that would swallow the entire planet and if the survivors did not leave soon they would become a part of this mass grave.

Saladin knew they did not have much time left. His friends were still out there—fighting monsters, demons, and who knows what other unimaginable horrors let loose by the Ancestresses. A formidable mage despite his youth, he'd barely managed to fend off a creature of such twisted design that the mere sight of it had sent his knight escort mad with fear. One of them, the poor lad, actually gorged his own eyes out upon seeing it. So horrifying was the creature that Saladin vomited upon first glance. He felt so sick. What kind of women held sway over such madness?

Only one knight stayed to aid Saladin in the desperate battle. Saladin admired the boy's courage, which surpassed that of most fully-trained soldiers, and admitted that he could not have slain the creature without his aid. But the boy had been wounded; the thing's fangs had found him and he'd been poisoned. Saladin enacted a spell to slow the spread of the poison and ordered the young warrior to return to the evacuation point to receive proper medical attention. After that, the mage set out for the wilderness of death and destruction before him, intent on finding the last remaining members of the Company of Light.

He wondered how many were still alive.

Rienhlocke.

Glinda.

Elphaba.

Atmos.

Palladium.

Baltor.

Ameryl…

…_am I the only one left?_

No!—he told himself. He could not be. The Company of Light was the finest group of heroes ever assembled. Its members would not go down so easily. Somewhere, out there, he knew they would still be fighting…not surrendering an inch to the living nightmares who would now make this dying world their home. They were holding off the assault while the evacuation was in process. The mage knew his skills were needed elsewhere. Baltor, Rienhlocke, and Ameryl were talented magic users all, but Saladin was the best. A master wizard at only twenty-nine years of age, such a thing had never been done before in recent memory.

But he was weak. Fighting for two days straight had drained the powerful mage of most of his energy. That last monster had taken more than he would have liked to have used out of him and he doubt he would still be here searching for his friends had the boy-knight not helped him. He prayed to whatever gods were still listening, though one look around shook his faith at the moment, that he did not run into any more obstructions on the way; particularly those of the "I'm going to eat you" variety.

A flash of thunder caught his attention. A first he thought it originated from the sky seeing as how the black clouds loomed ever closer to the center of the city…but then he noticed the lighting was emitting too close to the ground for it to be anything but non-terrestrial. A battlecry filled the air, which in turn filled his heart with joy. It was Rienhlocke!

His legs burned in protest as he ran towards the battle. He could have used magic to transport himself there instantly but he wanted to save his remaining magic for an emergency. Plus it was never wise to simply "appear" in the middle of a battle you knew nothing about. You could materialize right in the path of a charging giant, getting squashed in the process—or get caught in the crossfire of dueling wizards. As weak as he was, it was best to remain on the side of caution.

The rubble of buildings proved to be quite the chore of circumventing, but once Saladin was over the mound he saw his friend locked in battle with a monster resembling a cross between a woman and a spider. The creature had the body of a spider, its bulbous thorax pitch black save for the red markings (a black widow!). The upper half was that of a woman; naked, but completely unattractive. Her distorted breasts were on opposite sides of the torso and her hair clung loosely like rags around a balding head. Her skin was a sickly gray, boils and warts, thousands of them, dotted her ugly body from head to thorax. She had six arms, a weapon in each hand.

Well. Almost.

Two of the arms were out of commission. One of them was severed to the elbow while the other hung limply from a broken joint. Several scorch marks appeared on her massive frame. The black widow towered forty feet above the ground. Her long legs, all eight of them, sent a tremor through the ground with each step. To Saladin, it sounded like an ogre marching band.

The widow cried out as another bolt of lightning spun straight for her. She lifted an arm holding a shield to block it. The blast was redirected to a crumbling tower that disintegrated on impact. The shield had been rendered useless by the attack and so it was discarded. Above, Saladin saw his friend swoop in for another kill.

A paladin was something to see. His great wings and sylvan features gave him the image of an angel when in fact he was a winged elf who was blessed by the power of his gods with command over nature. His long, silver hair streaked behind him as he dived from a hundred feet up. The widow raised a hatchet and a longsword to mutilate him, but the paladin was too smart…and too fast.

He danced around the widow's futile attempts at killing him like a fly would a person, only this fly was about a thousand times more dangerous. His sword, beaming with mystical energy, sliced another arm off the spider monster and sent black blood spewing forth. She screamed, got angry(er) and tried to eat him. Rienhlocke raised his palm, aimed it at her face and unleashed a terrible fireball. The monster's head was engulfed in flame and she futility tried to put it out using her remaining hands.

"To the abyss with you!" He shouted and gathered a massive ball of energy in his hands before firing a blast at point-blank range. The blast incinerated the monster into nothingness. Rienhlocke crumbled to the ground, his magic spent.

Saladin came sliding down the rubble and rushed to his friend's side. "Rienhlocke!"

The Paladin of Ferendor Fjord felt Saladin place a hand on his shoulder. "You're almost as bad as I am," He said and before Saladin could ask him to clarify what he meant the paladin added, "I can sense you are almost out of magic. That spider-bitch took what little I had left to finish. I doubt I could fly now." He moved his wings weakly to insinuate the point. "Damn it all. Why couldn't it be goblins? They die so much more easily."

Saladin was glad to see his friend retained his sense of humor given the circumstances. Despite his appearance, the paladin was well over two-hundred years old. A child by the standards of his race but no less incredible. Rienhlocke served as Saladin's master when he was still a pupil at Ferendor Fjord. He knew that if his former teacher was exhausted it was because he had given it everything he had. The elf was an army unto himself and one look around the field was testament to his destructive power as countless demonic dead lay burning or hacked on the ground.

"You'd best return to camp. The last ships are preparing to leave. I was sent to search for stragglers."

Rienhlocke looked at him. "So I'm a straggler now? Funny. As I recall it was always you who needed to be rescued at the end of a battle."

Saladin laughed. "You taught me well, old friend. Believe me when I say I know how to take care of myself."

"I see." A wicked smirk overcame his beautiful face. "Then why is it you still need me to look out for you?"

"If you're referring to the incident on the Resort Realm, I told you that girl was only,"

"No," the paladin cut him off. "I mean—duck!"

"Wha—"

The elf forcefully shoved Saladin to the ground before raising his hand, a ball of light forming. The remains of a creature with the head of a cockroach that was mere inches from Saladin's exposed back moments before, now clicked its mandibles angrily as the paladin readied to fire. The horrid thing vanished in a globe of light and was no more. Funny, he thought, I could have sworn I squashed that thing when I dropped the tower on it. Then again, given the insect the creature resembled, it was no surprise how tough it had been to kill.

"You see?" Rienhlocke said.

"Guess I still have a lot to learn." The human mage had no idea what his friend had killed but he heard the screech and the hungry sounds of something clicking before the blast came. A part of him was glad he did not get to see it. He'd already witnessed enough to have nightmares for the rest of his days. "But I thought you said you had nothing left."

"I was just catching my breath." He breathed in heavily. "There we are." And then he bounced back up. "Good as new."

Saladin secretly hated him for it. Elves were highly evolved beings. Even with their soft stature they could still heal faster and fight longer than humans. No doubt the paladin had already gained most of his energy back and was ready to go another round with another widow.

"Have you seen the others?" the mage asked, getting to his feet.

Rienhlocke's face turned sour. "I'm afraid we got separated during the initial assault."

"We?"

"Prince Atmos, Baltor and I were searching for the girls when the widow and her minions fell upon us. I told them to go on without me while I held back the demonspawn. Glinda and Elphie were escorting a group of refugees from the east side of the city towards the stadium. They were headed that way when the battle began."

"Then that's where we'll go."

A loud screech filled the air. Something big was making its way toward them and from the sound of shifting rubble it was coming very fast.

"You go on, good mage. I must keep this way clear so that nothing tries to outflank us when we return to the zone."

Saladin was hesitant. "But you're not at full strength. Whatever's coming could prove too much for you in this state." The mage held firmly his staff, a golden weapon with the head of a dragon. It had a ruby gem in the mouth, pulsating with magical energy. "We will fight it together."

"You humans always have trouble seeing the bigger picture."

The paladin's tone irked the young wizard and he turned to retort but was stopped with a flick of his wing that tapped Saladin on the head. "My powers come from nature. So long as there is still some of it left on this world I will be more than a match for anything that comes my way. Besides, I can always fly away if things get too dangerous and I still have a few teleportation spells handy. And then," he raised his sword, glowing with silver light. "_White Star_ will be at my side. The two of us have never lost a battle."

"You place too much faith in that inanimate object of yours."

"Look who's talking."

The screech came again, closer this time, and stopped Saladin's words in his mouth.

"Off with you," Rienhlocke said. "Go be the hero and save the pretty damsels. I go to meet my destiny." The winged elf took to the air wanting to meet the foe away from Saladin so that he could make a clean escape. As Saladin watched him go, he prayed, this time really prayed, that the elf's words were only metaphorical. He'd hate to lose his teacher…and best friend.

"Godspeed," said Saladin, and turned to find his other companions.

* * *

Galinda, better known as Glinda, poked her head outside to have a look around. Whatever had flown over the ruined neighborhood moments before was long gone and they could move again. Turning back, the fairy regarded the cowering mass of people behind her. "It's gone. Now when I give the word I want each of you to file out one by one and try to make as little noise as possible. All right?"

Those with enough sense managed to nod, but the others were so terrified they just gawked at her with wide eyes. Glinda could not blame them. Their entire world was destroyed and most of them if not all had lost loved ones. She could never imagine what they were going through.

She searched the crowd for a familiar face who stood at the back end. A pair of yellow eyes met her brown and that was all the communication they needed. Glinda and Elphaba need not the gift of telepathy to pass on messages. The two were so in sync they may as well have been twins. Basically, the fairy just told her witch counterpart that she would lead the refugees out onto the street while Elphaba guard the rear. As they continued toward the stadium where the evacuation was taking place, Glinda would make sure the way was clear while Elphaba made sure no one got lost or left behind. It was their duty as members of the Company of Light to see as many people to safety as possible.

Taking one more look just to be absolutely sure the way was clear, Glinda said, "Follow me," and the procession began.

Back at the line, Elphaba watched her friend go. Whatever that thing was it was huge. The entire building shook at its passing and the witch hoped they'd never see it again anytime soon. While she had the greatest confidence in their abilities, hers especially, she doubt that they alone could handle a demon that big. Those Ancestresses were powerful. She was almost filled with pride to know that they were witches like her. But all witches, no matter how wicked, had limits and those women had crossed a very broad line.

The pink-haired fairy emerged from the doorway. She raised her hands so that she may fire at any attacker at a moment's notice but when nothing appeared she did not lower her guard. All of Domino was a danger zone. Death could be waiting around the next corner and whatever may happen the fairy wanted to be ready.

In her Enchantix form she was a sight to see. While half-naked, as fairies tended to be, Glinda was power and majesty wrapped into a pretty package. Her sleeveless, blue blouse had slits to reveal ample cleavage. The skirt, which barely covered anything, fluttered in the breeze, occasionally revealing her underwear. Her feet were bare save for metal rings coiling around them like golden serpents. Her beautiful wings were a multi-colored design of intricate lines and patterns. The colors were mostly in the blue and green families, but there was a dashing of red and pink as well. A small silver bell hung at the tip of each wing, jingling whenever the fairy flew or a strong gust happened by.

Her pink hair was cupped into two buns with pigtails hanging off each. All in all, the attire was impractical for battle, Elphaba thought. Her Hauntix abilities saw her strong, sexy, and fully clothed—thank you very much. The witch could never understand what fairies saw in wearing almost nothing to a fight. Sure Glinda was strong and fast, and boy could she dish it out, but one good hit and…well, you get the idea.

As the procession went into the open, Glinda took to the air so as to get a bird's eye view of the area before them. She saw no monsters, demons, or apparitions to bar their path. The way seemed relatively safe though she found her eyes scanning the sky for signs of that big bird thing or whatever it was.

"_Anything?"_ Came Elphaba's voice. She'd used telepathy this time for Glinda was far ahead of her and not looking back.

The fairy turned to where her friend who was bringing up the rear. The witch wore a long black robe that covered all save her face—her pale, witchy face. This did not mean she was not beautiful. Elphaba was gorgeous in a gothic sort of way—if you were into that.

"_No. The way is clear."_

"_Famous last words,"_ Elphaba thought cynically. Ever the pessimist. _"Stay sharp. I don't think it'll be that easy."_

"_You mean it's been easy so far?"_

"_Trust me, Glinda. It's never easy."_

"_Can't argue with that."_ The fairy returned to her vigilant watch. Ahead remained what was left of a crumbling bridge over a river. "There's a bridge up ahead." She announced to the refugees. "I'm going to see if it's sturdy enough. Wait here." She left the group in the care of her friend while she went on ahead. Despite a few cracks—okay, _a lot_ of cracks, the bridge seemed moderately in shape. She tested it with her own weight, her wings still fluttering should it decide to break at an inconvenient time. It held though that wasn't saying much. Glinda was only one fairy, and a small one at that. How would it hold a score of people, some of them full grown and overweight adults?

"No choice," she said to herself. It would take too long to find another way across and there wasn't much time left. "This will have to do."

Returning to the procession, Glinda told them about the bridge. "We'll go over one at a time just to be safe. Move quickly, okay?" She led them to the bridge. "Go." One by one, the refugees began to make their way across. Elphaba joined Glinda in the air above the survivors. While lacking wings, the witch possessed the ability to levitate her body using her own dark magic. Witches were mentally more powerful than fairies. They were more than just spells and chants.

"We're almost out of time," the witch told Glinda. "We'd best hurry up." She looked about. "Where are Atmos and the others? They were supposed to help us evacuate these people."

Glinda shrugged her slender shoulders. "You know the boys. Probably off fighting the bad guys in an attempt to prove their masculinity."

"Either that or they left without us."

"No way. Baltor's got a thing for you. He'd never leave knowing you were still here."

Elphaba grimaced. "I never count on that wizard for anything."

"You never count on anyone but yourself, Elphie." Glinda used her nickname for the witch that she knew she hated. Witches took great pride in their name because it was part of their heritage. Every witch took on a name that was unique to her and her alone. Even warlocks, their male counterparts, took a fierce pride in their identity. It was rare in their culture when a witch or warlock took a name by another. They chose their own names, not their parents, so when someone abbreviated it, it was like taking their identity and tossing it aside.

"And what's wrong with that?" Elphaba asked defensively. "Too much reliance on others makes you weak."

"Then why did you join the Company of Light?"

"To prove that a witch is just as capable as any fairy, wizard, paladin, or knight."

"Uh-huh." Glinda smirked.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What? What is it?"

"It's just…"

"Glinda!"

"Baltor."

"What about him?"

"Admit it," she leaned in. "You like him."

"I do not."

"Sure."

"I don't know where you---"

"I see you looking at each other."

"He looks at me."

"Your cheeks flush whenever he's around."

"Only because he makes me so angry."

"Uh-huh." Glinda pinched Elphie's cheek. "That…and you like him."

"This isn't the time for your childish antics, fairy!" Elphaba shoved her hand aside. "We're in the middle of a war! Now take this seriously or else."

"Yikes." Glinda backed off. The witch could be very scary when she wanted to be. Then again, weren't they all?

The refugees were almost over. Elphaba and Glinda stood watch over the entire procession when one man nearly fell over. He'd been walking alongside the stone railing when a part of it collapsed. He stumbled at first and would have gone over had not the fairy been fast and grabbed his arm. "Be careful." Glinda scolded him. The part of the railing that went over sent ripples throughout the water. Those ripples were followed by bubbles which expanded into a pool. Soon enough the surface of the water turned black.

"That's the last of them." Glinda reported up to Elphaba.

"Let's get going. I don't think there are that many ships left waiting for us."

Something slithered up out of the river.

"Don't worry, Elphie. They won't leave without us. We're two gorgeous girls."

"Don't call me that."

"What? Gorgeous? Oh…you mean Elphie."

"Glinda."

The fairy laughed. "It's just my pet name for you."

Elphaba glared down at her friend. "If you don't stop behaving like a brat so help me I'll," then she saw the tentacle reach for Glinda.

"You'll what?"

"Glinda!"

"No need to shout. I'm r…" She was stopped as the tentacle wrapped around her body and pulled her down. The last thing Elphaba saw was her friend's pleading eyes looking to her for help. The people on the other side of the bridge cried out and began to run away but Elphaba paid them no mind. Right now all she could think about was her friend and her terrified eyes.

"Glinda!"

* * *

The hold the tentacle had on her was intense. She could feel her lungs gasping for air which was made all the more difficult now that she was underwater. Glinda tried using her wings but they were all mangled up in the creature's hold. The suckers on the tentacle began to puncture her skin. She would cry out but all that came out was bubbles. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to lose her cool and remain in control. As Saladin once told her, "emotion is the enemy of victory."

What she needed to do was gather enough of her winx for an all-out attack. Good luck. About the only thing she could move now was her feet and unless she planned to stomp this thing to death there wasn't much advantage in that. But a fairy need not her body to use her magic. Glinda's powers emanated from light which was brightest in her heart. Focusing her winx, Glinda prepared to unleash her power.

A terrible sound came from beneath her. Barley managing to twist her head to a point where she could see, Glinda saw a gaping mouth several yards wide rushing up to meet her. The maw was a vortex of teeth that led into a pit of darkness. Now she really wanted to scream…but no—you can do this, Glinda. Focus your winx!

Calling up power from the deepest recesses of her soul, the fairy brought it up to the surface…just as the maw closed in around her.

* * *

Elphaba nearly dived in after her. She never realized how important Glinda had been to her until now. While there was already a deep-rooted distrust of witches—which would only intensify after today's atrocities—Glinda treated her not only as a friend, but as a sister. All her teasing, all her antics were a display of affection for Elphaba. Now she'd lost her.

A part of her had been lost forever.

_Not if I can help it!_

"Hang on, Glinda! I'm coming!" The witch prepared to throw off her robe when the entire length of the river exploded with light. Being used to darkness it was especially hurtful to Elphie's eyes. Like a rocket launched from a submersible, Glinda came streaking out of the river. Striking a pose, the fairy asked, "Did you miss me, Elphie?"

"With every blast so far," Elphaba returned to her grouchy manner. "Do you think this is some sort of game? You were almost killed!"

"No problem. That tuna couldn't hurt me if it tried."

Suddenly the river exploded again; this time a large black mass surfaced accompanied by several writhing tentacles.

"I think it wants a second chance," Elphaba said and prepared an energy blast. "Take this!" She fired it off only to have it bounce harmlessly off the sea creature's armored hide. "Dammit!"

"Let me try." Glinda fired off a beam of light from her forefinger that streaked toward the sea monster who managed to deflect it with a single tentacle. It came shooting back at Elphaba who barely had time to dodge it. "You okay?!" Glinda cried after her friend's near miss.

"Clearly. This thing is too powerful for either of us to defeat alone. We should join our attacks to finish it off."

"Convergence." Glinda smiled. "Let's do it. You lead."

Having no problem with that, the witch began her attack. Rising herself out of the reach of those tentacles, the witch raised her arms up high. A black globe of dark energy appeared over her head. Wind kicked up, lifting her cloak to reveal her Hauntix outfit. Basically it was a form-fitting purple body suit with black patches on the shoulders, knees, elbows, hips and ankles. The Hauntix looked futuristic in that it pulsated with violet energy that started from Elphaba's neck and worked down to her feet. On her chest appeared her personal mark, the one that granted her this miraculous power. Like winx to a fairy, each witch bore a mark that was theirs alone and could only be obtained after going through a grueling trial that could cost one her life. When she achieved her mark, the witch would gain her Hauntix, her most powerful form. In this form, Elphaba was Glinda's equal.

The globe of energy grew larger until it was twice the size of the woman who wielded it. "Now, Glinda!"

Even higher up, Glinda formed rings of pure energy. Blue and white coils appeared around her arms and she fired them down like lances toward Elphaba. "Convergence!"

At that, Elphaba unleashed the dark globe. The two attacks combined halfway down. The light lances encircled the globe, forming a wall of electricity. The globe flickered from black to purple and as it collided with the monster's maw and the Convergence attack struck deep and exploded from within. The sea monster exploded in a mass of black goo and body parts. The blast also managed to destroy the bridge.

Elphaba and Glinda looked at each other. They shared a smile.

"Kick ass!" Glinda exclaimed.

"We do make a good team," the witch said. That was as congratulatory as you can expect her to be.

Now the fairy looked around. "Uh…where are the people we were supposed to escort?"

"Cowards turn and ran when the creature pulled you in. Despicable."

"They're only civilians. We can't expect them to fight with us."

"They could have at least cheered us on." She sighed. "Let's go find them."

* * *

Right now the refugees wished they stayed with the fairy and the witch for they were faced down with two evil-looking scorpions the size of shuttle craft. There were two pincers on each arachnid, both dripping with venom that burned holes through the ground. They had long snouts that squealed with glee when they spotted the refugees. Three eyeballs protruded from stalks on their heads and they snapped their pincers with every step.

Fortune was with them for the scorpions were not the only ones to have found the refugees.

A dashing figure leaped off a nearby building and sliced the tail off from one of the scorpions. Prince Atmos turned to face down the two monsters with sword and shield in hand. His blue armor was singed from previous encounters with roving monstrosities but he was no less determined to fight. His shield bore the royal insignia of his kingdom and his sword was stained with the blood of many a foe.

"Not one step further!" He commanded. The scorpions did not listen; likely they didn't even care, and attacked.

The people watching were in awe at his fighting prowess. Atmos bobbed and weaved out of their range and reciprocated with a blinding slash of his sword. One scorpion tumbled to one side as the first two legs on one side had been cut off. The other bled acid when the prince tore an opening through its mid-section. Barely a minute into the fight the prince had the two beasts dead before him. Their bodies burned right through the street and they disappeared into the ground. His sword had been made from the finest dwarven blacksmiths of his home realm, thereby making it impervious to acid. After wiping it on the floor, he sheathed the magnificent weapon.

Prince Atmos turned to the refugees who stood in silence. "I promise you the way will be clear from this point on. My friends and I have cleared the streets between the river and the arena. I take it this is everyone?"

Several members nodded.

"Good. Now if you'll," a large shadow loomed over them. "Oh hell! Everybody take cover!" the prince brought up his sword in preparation for this new fight. A monstrous bird with wings as red as blood and whose body was covered in talons instead of feathers, swooped in on them. His one massive leg lashed down at the prince on the first try. It scrapped his shield but hit with such tremendous force that he'd been tossed to the ground.

Cursing in his native tongue, the prince bounded up. Enraged at the blemishing of his shield, Atmos reared back his sword.

The bird demon turned around and came back for a second pass. Talon and steel met and there was shearing sound as the blade won. The creature's leg fell off and it crashed to the ground. The prince closed in for the kill but to his surprise and eventual disgust hundreds of the bird's talons leaped off its body, becoming carnivorous little worms which sped toward him. "By the gods!" he swore and suddenly found himself overwhelmed.

Several of them latched onto his armor, boring their way through and nipping at the skin within. Atmos spent more time flicking them off than he did fighting the rest. The refugees watched in horror as their savior faced imminent demise. One of them, a young boy, took the initiative to pick up a rock and throw it at the worm-things. His aim was true and it crushed one, but that turned the attention of many of the worms on them. Cries went up as the worms closed in on the refugees. Some picked up stones, poles, glass, anything that could be used as a makeshift weapon and tried to defend themselves.

"Run!" Atmos cried. "Flee for your lives!" another worm bit at his neck and he screamed bloody murder.

"How pathetic," came a worldly voice. "The Prince of Eraklyon devoured by ravenous invertebrae." A handsome young man in a long red trench coat appeared from out of thin air. "Allow me."

Raising his hand he twiddled his fingers until a hundred little sparks came out of them. The spark fell on the mass of worms attacking the people and burst into flame, incinerating the vermin. Next he turned to the prince. Removing two green feathers from an inside pocket he whispered something before blowing them toward the prince. The feathers morphed into large green birds which began to eat the worms. "Best use their natural enemies to fight back," the wizard said. "Must I fight all of your battles, Prince Atmos?"

Grumbling beneath his breath, the brown-haired warrior-knight turned on his companion. "I had everything well in hand, Baltor."

"Indeed. Then I guess that dance you were doing as the worms bore into your skin was meant to impress them with your ballroom skills?"

"Quiet!" Atmos squashed a worm with his foot. "Cursed things."

But in all the commotion they'd both forgotten about the demon bird. It was far from dead and all this time had grown a new leg. With that finished it turned its hungry eyes on the two men.

Atmos saw it first. "Dragon's Teeth! The damn thing was only biding time to heal its wound."

"Let me take care of this." Baltor approached the bird with utmost confidence. Not three steps away the bird attacked, its beak spread wide for consumption. "Don't you know it's rude to gawk your mouth at someone?" He asked before enacting his spell. A small pin he carried in his hand suddenly extended to the length of a sword. It grew as long as a javelin, then a lance; it grew until it was many times its size until it was portable ballista which skewered the bird as it tried to eat him whole. Baltor laughed as the point came out the other end. "Farewell." The ballista ignited and burned the creature alive.

"What is it with you and fire?" Atmos asked as his friend stepped away from the carcass.

The handsome wizard brushed back his orange-brown hair which he had turned into a ponytail behind his back. "When something absolutely, positively must die there is no substitute."

"Pyromaniac."

"Hey!" Glinda's voice rang out. Both she and the witch Elphaba came flying over to where they stood. "Thought that was you, Baltor. Smelled your handiwork a mile away."

"You know me, Glinda. I always strive to leave an impression."

"Your impressions tend to lay waste to everything around you," Elphaba said. She landed softy, her dark clock enshrouding her in mystery. Baltor's eyes lit up at seeing her. "By the way, thanks for meeting us at the assigned spot. Glinda and I were attacked six times before we managed to get all the refugees ready for escort. I thought you _boys_ were going to clean up the streets."

"Being among the few who could fly my place was in the air battling the winged minions of the Ancestress Witches. I must say, your kind are quite imaginable, my dear Elphie."

"Elphaba!" She spat.

Beside her, Glinda chuckled. "How cute. They're having a lover's spat."

"Don't you start with me, fairy."

"Enough." Prince Atmos, the unofficial leader of their troupe, sheathed his sword and directed their attention toward him. "The last ships are preparing to leave. We must return before that storm reaches us." At that, all eyes turned to the black clouds which loomed ever closer. The rain was said to eat flesh and melt bone, turning anything it touches into monsters. It was a living death—far worse than the real thing.

"Let's get these people to the arena for evac and…where is everyone?"

"Aren't they with the ships?" Glinda asked.

"I sent Saladin to look for stragglers a while back. Ameryl and Palladium went to the aid of a squad of soldiers trapped on the other side of the city. They should be back by now."

"And Rienhlocke?"

Atmos rolled his eyes. "That damn elf flew off somewhere. Could be dead for all we know."

"Don't say that." The fairy puckered her lips.

Baltor smirked. "Yes. Our dear Galinda has a thing for the winged elf."

"I think he's cute, all right? And the name's Glinda. Galinda makes me sound old."

"Excuse me?" One refugee, a woman with long, dark hair, asked the Company. "We'd like to be saved now."

Prince Atmos then said, "Glinda. Elphaba. Take these people back to the arena. Baltor and I will make one more sweep of the area before returning. See if you can find out what happened to our elf friends while you're at it."

"Will do. Come on, Elphie." She flew up.

"This company's going to be down one fairy if she keeps this up."

"Elphaba." Baltor called to her. "You look so cute when you're pouting."

Her white cheeks turned red. "S…shut up!" She soared away.

"Always the ladies man." Atmos mused. "Let's get going."

* * *

Saladin arrived at the mouth of a crumbling subway entrance. The spell he used to track down his friends took the form of a whisp of light that led him here. Once the whisp reached the subway it went out and Saladin was left staring into a dark hole. "Oh sure. There's nothing to worry about down there." He sighed aloud and used his staff to light up the dark before venturing in.

Within the underground he found no monsters but something worse. People. Dead people. Many were torn apart or crushed beneath the rubble. The trains were strewn about like a child's toys and there was so much blood that he nearly slipped. Fighting back the uneasiness that threatened to force his lunch out through his mouth, Saladin pressed on.

His was the only light in the tunnel save for loose wire cables. He made sure to stay clear of them. Wouldn't make sense to have survived numerous monster encounters just to be electrocuted to death. After minutes of aimless wandering he made it to a juncture where the train tracks split. Aiming the staff this way and that, Saladin had to contemplate which way to go. His eyes fell on something he recognized. A white leaf hanging on one of the walls. The leaf's edge was pointed back the way he came, signifying it as a marker. The mage smiled. "Palladium."

The cunning elf had been this way not long ago. He continued down the tunnel the leaf had been placed and found another further down. This continued and he found three more leaves before the ground gave way to a gaping hole. "What would possess Palladium to go down there?" he wondered. Elves usually avoided subterranean places. They were beings of the surface where the sun and the moon shone down from above. To take them away from that was like taking a fish out of water.

Braving the hole, the mage continued on until finally he heard something. It was a voice—an _elf _voice.

There was no mistaking that melodic accent. Saladin picked up the pace eventually winding up in a sizable cavern with a ceiling fives stories high and three wide. He found Palladium slouching against the far rock wall, clutching a wound in his lower stomach.

"My friend!" Saladin rushed to his aid. Unlike Rienhlocke, this elf was grievously wounded. The blood had stained his pants and shirt almost entirely. Had he been human he would already be dead. He'd been using a combination of magic and potions to heal the wound. Palladium had stopped the bleeding but he was very weak.

"F-Fiyero." The elf was one of the few who called him by his first name rather than his last. His sparkling green eyes brightened at his arrival and he weakly smiled. "H-How are you, m-my friend?"

"I could ask you the same. Here. Let me help." Whatever had wounded Palladium it had caused him to use up all of his potions. Saladin took out one he kept just for emergencies. The elixir was meant to mend broken bones and any other internal injuries. Palladium's condition improved tremendously upon drinking it and he was able to get back on his feet with Saladin's help.

"What happened here?" He asked. "Who did this to you?"

"A horror."

"What kind of mon…"

"Not a monster. Not even a demon. A _horror_."

The human mage did not understand so the elf clarified. "An evil so ancient that even my people have no name for it. Eons ago before the universe was born, a terrible darkness battled against the light. Horrors served the darkness. They were its strongest minions able to bring one's nightmares to life and turn the most beautiful thing into something truly disgusting. I thought them but myths but now I've seen one with my own eyes."

"How did you manage to survive?"

"You can thank Ameryl for that."

"Ameryl? She's here?"

"Was. She saved me from the horror by distracting it, making it chase her instead of me. I was gravely wounded trying to help a solider who'd been pinned down by debris. Before I knew it the horror was on me and I'd have died from madness before death claimed my body. Brave Ameryl led it away and I have not seen either since. I crawled my way back here, the soldiers we came to aid all dead, stopped the bleeding and awaited rescue." Palladium faced Saladin. "It's far worse than I've feared. The Ancestresses. They've called upon forces so vile that even they could not control it. This world is doomed, Fiyero. If we do not stop this here there is no telling where this evil will spread next. We cannot simply leave Domino. We must separate it from the rest of the universe forever."

"How do we do that?"

"My people know a way. I'm sure the Magix Council will see it as the only option. For now we must see to our dear friend and pray that she is okay."

"At once."

Both man and elf strode boldly down the tunnel until it opened up to an even larger cavern. The bodies of soldiers lay about in mangled forms. Palladium offered a swift and silent prayer for the dead before moving on. It wasn't until they reached the pit when Saladin almost lost his nerve. The pit descended ceaselessly as if into the mouth of Hell. It took all the courage he had before he dared to take one step further.

"This was where the horror first appeared. Knowing Ameryl as the dutiful woman that she is, she led the creature back here so as to trap it."

"It does not look like she succeeded."

"Hush now! We mustn't think that way. I still sense a trace of her energy in the air. It leads down." Palladium removed a shortsword from his belt. "Are you with me, Fiyero?"

"To the death," Saladin said.

"Once more into the breach!" Palladium leaped and used his elven magic to float downward. Taking the cue, Saladin used a spell that would allow him to fly and followed Palladium into the pit.

* * *

**In the next chapter, Saladin and Pallidum find just how far down the rabbit hole goes. Time has run out for Domino and the universe holds its breath when an ancient evil emerges.**


	2. The Fall of Domino Part Two

**Author: My thanks to Guardian's Light and Knight of Aura for their reviews. Okay, so here's the sitch. This chapter turned out much longer than I had hoped so now I've decided to split it into three parts. Think of it as one really long prologue. I hope you guys enjoy it.

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**

2. The Fall of Domino (Part Two)

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"_You failed me at the moment I needed you most. Never again will I look upon your face. This I swear. From this day forth, let all who bear the name Atreides spit on the name of Harkonnen!" – Vorian Atreides - Dune: The Battle of Corin

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_

Saladin and Palladium descended for uncounted minutes after making the leap of fate. Never in all his years had Saladin or Palladium for that matter, who'd seen many more seasons than most of the company combined, laid eyes on such an impenetrable darkness. There was no wind in the pit either. The only clue they had that they were still falling was the sensation one got when one's stomach would lurch upward towards the lungs. Fear began to trickle in the back of the wizard's mind for the mere thought of not being able to see where he was going was quite disturbing. He had to force his mind to focus; to feel out with his other senses whether or not he was coming close to the bottom.

"There," he heard Palladium call out from his left. Saladin could no more see the elf if he were a mile away in a lightless cavern when in reality they were but a few feet from each other. Sharp eyes were another enviable attribute of his kind, and Palladium spotted the swiftly rising ground before Saladin did. "We've reached the bottom."

The darkness lifted slightly and Saladin saw it too.

He almost breathed a sigh of relief when he felt his feet touch solid…_earth?_

With his eyes still struggling to focus, the mage had his scepter illuminate the general area. What he thought was rock at first turned out to be something more organic. It almost seemed like living tissue. The kind, he realized with disgust, you see when the protective layer of skin is peeled off to reveal the red mesh beneath.

"What is this?" He had to ask. The question was given in the hope that Palladium's answer would provide some sense of logic to this strange environ.

"I'm afraid I don't know. But I'd wager, and I'm not a betting elf, that it's neither natural nor magical in design."

"Well it certainly wasn't built."

"That remains to be seen," Palladium said. His green eyes held a hint of recognition which Saladin had to capitalize on.

"Not all constructs are made from steel and wood." The elf told him before he could ask. "It is said that the darker powers were able to mold their machines of war and misery from flesh and bone. It's a safe bet that no mortals have had a hand in the making of this place."

Saladin raised his staff higher. "Should I risk a little more light?"

"Might as well. I'm pretty sure that whatever's down here knows of our presence anyway."

That did not sit well with Saladin but did create more light all the same. The fleshly soil seemed to go on for many yards until Saladin noticed the ground uprooted, extending towards the ceiling and beyond the range of his magical light. "I sense a great deal of evil in the air."

"I as well. What say we find our friend and leave this horrid place as soon as possible?"

All for it, Saladin nodded. "Lead the way."

Removing a slender shortsword from his belt, and raising his other hand which bore a splendid, golden buckler, Palladium took point. The scenery took the visage of a cavern covered in the same bleak-skinned exterior. The deeper they traveled the more pronounced it became. Jagged protrusions, like veins, rooted along the surface of every wall and floor space. They grew in size until the pair was forced to climb, scale, and finally fly over just to proceed. Several strange insects, each as larger if not larger than their hands, a sickly pale color, swarmed over mounds that would occasionally burst like a pimple, each mound being a birthing chamber for their young. The maggots were writing and bloated, suckling on the tendrils as if they were a mother's breasts.

Long, thick strands snaked their way across their path and one too many times either Palladium or Saladin was attacked by something that appeared like a thorn. The thing moved fast and shot out of the dark. Luckily they proved faster and the thorn-thing did not seem to like the light. Palladium removed a pearl from his pocket. After a whisper it glowed with a silver radiance that he added to the brilliance of his companion's scepter. With the combined light sources, the thorn-thing, or things, seemed to have lost interest in them.

The same could not be said for the living flood. The ground shifted like water and rose up to consume them. Unable to decipher its sheer size, they only managed to elude it when they spotted what look like an artery that was just barely wide enough for a human-sized being. Saladin did not fancy the idea of descending any further but Palladium dived in and he instinctively followed.

Many sticky things fell on him as he tried not to lose sight of the silvery-white image of Palladium who cut his way through the webbed coating of the artery. The living flood them behind gave out something like a muffled roar—whether in frustration over losing its prey or as a warning to something else down below he could not tell nor did they want to find out.

"I can sense Ameryl. We're getting closer," Palladium told Saladin. "Stick with me, Fiyero. We're almost there."

"I sincerely hope so."

Every second in this place seemed like a day to the mage. He wanted nothing more than to turn back in a mad dash to the surface where even the stale air of the ruined city would be a welcomed sensation to the crypt-like ambiance of this place. Only the thought of finding his friend alive and in one piece kept him going. That; and he did not want to lose Palladium. Being alone in here was a scary thought. His heart skipped a bit whenever the elf flew too far ahead of him and he rushed to keep up.

The more they traveled, the more Saladin felt himself an invading organism inside a living body. The surface of every protrusion was thick with veins and pulsing tissue. In his travels, the mage had ventured deep into the lairs of dragons, the camps of goblin warriors, the dens of trolls and ogres, an underground crypt filled with ghosts, and a haunted castle full of zombies. But nothing could compare to the sense of dread filling him at this very moment. Were they not to leave soon, he feared he would go mad.

"I think…we're here." Palladium's voice pulled the mage out of his musings and he found himself staring at something that was out of place in this living nightmare. Once they exited the artery out of the ceiling, a fortress made up entirely of bones stood in the middle of a sea of writhing serpents as big as dragons. The great tower mimicked the form of an extended talon with a skeletal extension serving as a platform. Palladium landed first with Saladin, who dimmed the light from his staff, joining him.

"Tell me, Palladium; are you as worried as I?"

"Probably more. My kind is more sensitive to magical auras. And the one I'm sensing now is enough to make my blood turn cold."

It was then that Saladin noticed his friend was sweating profusely. "How are you holding up considering?"

"I'll manage. Come. I sense Ameryl's presence coming from that tower."

"From that tower?"

"From _that_ tower." Palladium looked at him. "Did I stutter?"

"No. But I think my heart just did."

The elf smiled. "Come. Once more into the breach, my friend."

Saladin gathered himself as best he could. In times of extreme danger he was a formidable ally, reliable in a pinch but he still felt as a child when in the presence of Palladium or Rienhlocke. Granted both had lived for more than thrice his lifetime in this world, and had experienced things which he can only imagine. In all respects he felt everything would be all right so long as at least one of them was around. He also wouldn't mind having Galinda, Elphaba, Prince Atmos, or even Baltor with him.

Right now it was just he and Palladium…and that would have to be it for he did not have time to think of anything else as he and Palladium charged into the tower.

Rienhlocke had always been one to make a grand entrance. Usually a spiraling ball of light coursing through the sky or a brilliant display of his aerial acrobatics would herald his arrival. Not that he need make so grand a gesture. Being a paladin alone gave him all the attention he could ever want. Paladins were the guardians of the just and righteous. They protected the innocent from harm; staving off evil wherever it showed its ugly face. Theirs was a discipline that harnessed both magic and martial attributes. Honed by centuries of training, Rienhlocke was the most powerful paladin to have graced the scene since ancient times. There was a glow that seemed to follow him wherever he went. Simply stepping into a room brightened it up and when he spoke it was with a mixture of softness and strength.

He did not do any showboating this moment. The people of Domino were too lost in their own despair. He may love the spotlight but even he knew now was not the time for such tastelessness. He almost grieved at the sight of so many people, carrying their sick and wounded…and their dead, to the awaiting rescue ships that would be departing their world forever. Among the masses he found the faces of two of his company: Glinda and Elphaba. Both fairy and witch resorted to tending to the people's needs.

As the paladin came closer, he saw that it was mostly Glinda who did the tending. Elphaba merely stood off to one side of the crowd. It was not for lack of empathy that made her distance herself from the people; rather it was their utter contempt for what she was. Witches had destroyed Domino. Elphaba was a witch. One need not put two and two together to figure where all the people's angry glares were trained on.

Rienhlocke landed near the witch and folded his wings behind him. "How goes it?" He asked without ever turning to her. His eyes were fixed on the line of people boarding the nearest available ship. The vessels were mostly cargo transports. When news of the attack came, the call for any additional ships in the area to aid in the evacuation went out. Many came, but were forced to dump their cargo manifest in order to make room for the people. If it was any consolation for the captains, the people had to leave behind most of what they valued in order to have room to board. The paladin couldn't imagine any sympathetic individual wondering who'd lost more.

Side by side with Elphaba, the paladin looked much worse for wear. Elphaba's black cloak covered her body entirely from head to toe. Only the pale beauty of her face lingered outside. Rienhlocke, while still magnificent in his own right, adorned clothes that looked as if they'd been put through the ringer more than once. His white vest lost its sheen and his bracers, breeches, pants and boots were soiled from dirt, blood, and sparks.

"These are the last ships," the witch said. Indeed as Rienhlocke looked on, he saw only half a dozen transports—scratch that—five transports and a skimmer awaiting more passengers. The skimmer was a light-weight vessel built for speed. That it was even here signified the dire straits the kingdom was in.

"You think they'll accommodate everyone?"

"Either that or someone will have to remain behind." She turned to him.

"Don't you mean someones?"

"Yes," She answered flatly.

"Hm."

Galinda, or rather Glinda, consoled a family who looked as if they barely had time to dress themselves when the attack came. From the look of it they weren't even from the capital. Rienhlocke had seen the ravaged countryside outside the city and found himself asking how anyone had managed to make it this far. Then again, humans were amazingly enduring creatures, though the father looked to have had some sylvan ancestry by way of his ears and soft face.

"I doubt even Glinda's bright smile can light up their moods."

"She's a fairy. She'll always try."

"And what if you're a witch?" He asked, interested in her answer. (Hey! She brought it up.)

"Witches do not bring light. Only darkness and sorrow."

"That's the Ancestresses talking."

She turned to him. "You forget to whom you're speaking to."

"No I haven't. I know exactly who you are, Elphaba." Even if you won't admit it to yourself, he silently added.

Grimacing, an expression more familiar on her face than a smile ever could be, Elphaba returned to staring out at the crowd.

Glinda spotted Rienhlocke. Fairies seemed to be able to move with such grace and fluidity that made even Rienhlocke look brutish in the air. Her wings were a blur as the pink-haired fairy made her way toward them. "Rienhlocke! I was afraid you'd gotten lost."

"I do not get lost. I sometimes choose a different return route."

"I heard they sent Saladin out looking for you," She went on. "And that he hasn't come back."

"We bumped into each other. I sent him on ahead to look for Ameryl, Atmos, and Baltor."

"We saw Atmos and Baltor," she said. "They went looking for more survivors."

"Amazingly enough," Elphaba began. "It seemed no one came looking for us."

"Guess every one figured you two could look out for yourselves."

Glinda placed her hands on her very thin waist. "Are you patronizing us, Rienhlocke?"

"A little."

A flash of light had all three whirling around. Prince Atmos and Baltor materialized before their very eyes…and covered in muck. The prince shoved the wizard aside rather roughly, struggling to cleanse himself of the guck on his face and armor. "Damned wizard!"

The fairy, the paladin, and the witch, stared perplexed.

"You are welcome," Baltor grumbled and with a quick spell wiped the gooey, green stuff off his wizardly attire. "That is twice I saved your life today, prince."

"I had the situation well in hand."

"You were eaten."

"It was part of the plan."

"Oh really?" Baltor asked. "And I suppose crying out as you were pulled into the gullet, your legs flailing about, was meant to tenderize the skin before you impaled it?"

In disgust, Prince Atmos spit out some guck that had gathered around his chin. His blue eyes glared at the wizard whom he wanted to pummel at this very moment. "None of that would have happened if you'd just covered me from the air."

"I was under attack myself."

"Do you know what air cover means?"

"Do you know what surrounded means?"

Rienhlocke spoke up. "Do we even want to know?"

"No!" Both men barked.

"I see."

"If you two morons would stop your bickering you'd see that your close brush with death was insignificant in the eyes of the bigger picture." Elphaba guided their attention to the refugees, many of whom had turned towards their argument. They all looked sad-eyed. Their faces images of pure and utter loss. It was then that Prince Atmos and Baltor suddenly forgot what they were arguing about.

"Forgive us," the prince said for both of them. "We didn't mean,"

"Oi!" a young knight dressed in blue fads came running up to them. "Ye the Company of Light?" he asked.

"We are." Rienhlocke told him.

"We're about to load the last of the refugees. The call has gone out. Your vessel is this way."

"But we're not all here." Glinda became worried. "Three of our company are still missing."

Baltor looked about. "Where is everyone?"

"That apprentice of yours has gone off and gotten himself into trouble again, Rienhlocke."

"He stopped being my apprentice long ago, Prince Atmos. Longer than you at being a cadet at that heroics school of yours."

The youth stepped forward. "Forgive me, but the order has gone out. A fleet has gathered above the planet and is preparing for orbital bombardment."

All but Rienhlocke gasped. He knew this was coming.

"The whole…planet?" Glinda asked.

"This is madness," Atmos spoke up. "Domino is one of the founding members of the Magix Council. They can't just,"

"They can and will….and must." Rienhlocke regarded the boy. "Tell the ships to leave without us. Once we find our missing comrades we will join the fleet. If we do not return then do what you have to do." He turned to everyone else. "Are we all going?"

All nodded without hesitation.

"As you will, Company of Light. I will submit your response to central command. Please take care and return victorious." He turned to leave. It was then that the paladin noticed he walked with a limp. There was a bandaged wound on his right leg. "They just keep getting younger," he said before turning to the rest of the Company. "Let's go."

Saladin and Palladium rushed in side by side. It may appear like they were running in blindly but in fact the two heroes were proceeding in a military fashion. Both had their weapons, staff and sword, raised while keeping a respectable distance from one another. This was so that each of them could react in case of a sudden attack while not worrying about getting in the other's way. Also it was a safety precaution so that in case they were attacked it lowered the chances of both being hit at once.

They moved as silently as their feet would allow: stepping toe first rather than heel, a common tactic used by the Elven infantries during battle. Saladin had mastered this skill thanks to his years of study with Rienhlocke and could move as quietly as a leaf on the wind. With his staff leading he searched the hallway for signs of danger. He also covered Palladium's blind spot as he could not see in front of him at a certain angle. The elf did the same for Saladin and with that it would be near impossible for anyone to get the drop on them.

That didn't mean no one did not try.

The walls, like the rest of this structure, were made entirely of bones. From ahead of them, several bones erupted from the walls and transformed into skeletal warriors. Cliché yes, but no less dangerous. Afterall, how do you kill something that's already dead?

"I'll handle these. You go after Ameryl!" Palladium sped up to meet the bony warriors head on. The first took a swing at him with is large axe that would have cleaved the smaller elf in two, but using his agility Palladium dodged around the axe swing, came up behind, and using his shortsword severed the creature at the spine. The skeletons were a debauchery of the human form. Spikes protruded from their joints and head. Their faces were elongated sideways and their chins clamped with sharp teeth. The upper half of the torso fell to the ground though the creature did not stop fighting. As its legs kicked out, it swung its upper half around to try again to kill Palladium. Fortunately he kicked the axe free of the skeleton's grip and crushed the skull beneath his boot.

The legs did not stop kicking, though.

"Go!" He urged Saladin as he turned to parry the sword thrust of another skeleton. He kicked out with his foot and shoved it back against its fellow. With three of them down, Palladium raised the pearly orb in his hand and unleashed a beam of silver-white energy that incinerated the trio. That action provided Saladin with and opening from which to break through.

"See you on the other side," he said as he ran past the remaining undead. One tried to take a swing at him that would remove his head but Saladin was already one step too many away and the strong thrust sent the creature falling on the floor.

"Save some for me." Palladium backed away to give himself some room. It wasn't until Saladin was out of sight that he heard rustling from behind and turned to see another wave of skeleton soldiers erupt from the walls with weapons in hand. "On second thought I have enough to deal with here."

It amazed Saladin how large the interior was. From outside the tower peak looked small and narrow but inside it was vast, almost a labyrinth. Fortunately he was in a tunnel, not a maze, and he eventually found the end of it. Either Palladium was proving more of a match for the tower's defenses than he thought or the tower did not consider a human mage much of a threat for he didn't encounter any more obstacles on the way. He felt insulted.

At the end of the hall he found himself in vast circular chamber with a view of the hellish countryside. At the center of the circular chamber sat a hole—with rows of teeth lining its edges. It was a maw and it looked hungry…and it was getting bigger.

His eyes searched the great chamber until they fell on a small figure in the distance. It was a woman wearing a white robe with the emblem of a sword overlapping a crescent moon. "Ameryl!" He cried. His voice carried across the chamber. The only thing she did was turn her head to the side, her head covered by the hood of her cloak. "Fiyero."

"What is this place? What are you doing here? Are you all right?" The questions came one after the other.

"You should leave this place."

"I plan to. But not without you."

"I am not going."

"Ameryl, you're not making sense." Saladin took a few steps in. "Palladium is fighting a horde of monsters as we speak. We must go to his aid. Come now, before,"

"Before what?" She turned to face him. Her purple eyes were immaculate even at this distance. They peered at him from a tanned face that looked anything but happy to see him. "Have you stopped to ask yourself what you are fighting for, Fiyero? Haven't you ever wondered if we're on the wrong side?"

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. You just follow the will of the Council. Look around you, wizard. This is their handiwork!" Her hands spread in referral to their surroundings. "Their arrogance has brought about the downfall of Domino. They sought to wield the Dragonfire to serve their needs. And what's worse, the king and queen allowed it! Oritel and Miriam are traitors! They must die!"

"Listen to yourself. You speak treason!"

"I speak only truth. Believe me it was hard to learn but when I did I found I could no longer obey their orders like some dog. This corrupt kingdom has fallen. Now it is the Council who must pay."

Saladin did not believe this. Ameryl was as loyal to the Council as he was, possibly more. Ameryl had proven herself exceptional and was the first chosen next to Rienhlocke to become a member of the Company of Light. Her words were not only treasonous but blasphemous. The Company was a sacred order, sworn to uphold justice. For her to turn on their creed was to go against the very thing she stood for.

She had changed. This was not the woman Saladin had come to respect and admire and…though he never told her…had developed a deep affection for.

Lowering her arms, Ameryl regarded Saladin once again. "I do not wish to fight you. You, Rienhlocke, everyone, you are all my friends. I want you to stand beside me. We must set things right. The royal family and the Council were in conspiracy. We are duty bound to right this injustice. The Company of Light must stand as one."

"Enough! Have you been to the surface? I find it hard to believe that King Oritel and Queen Miriam would allow something like this to happen to their people. We know them, Ameryl. They are wise and loving leaders. Whatever has happened is not their fault."

"So you won't join me?" She asked. He could hear the sorrow in her voice. Obviously his fellowship meant a great deal to her. "You'd rather stay with them?"

"Ameryl."

"I understand." She stepped back. "I wish things could have been different, Fiyero."

Afraid, and not for his current circumstances, Saladin reached out. "Wait!" The young mage, his long, dark hair flying behind him, flew toward her. He stopped when he witnessed something large and black appear behind her. It was a mass of darkness with multiple eyes hanging from a hundred stalks. "Ameryl! Behind you!"

She shook her head, seemingly unafraid despite the presence of the horror. "I was barley able to keep it from killing Palladium. I do not know if I'll be able to do it again. Please leave, Fiyero. Despite your choice I do not wish to see you hurt."

Suddenly realization set in. Saladin, still hovering, looked like a fly caught in an invisible web. That web was disbelief. "Y-You mean…you summoned the horror that killed all those men?"

"Of course not. They did."

"Who?" A sudden blast sent the mage plowing to the floor. He hit the ground hard, his staff careening dangerously close to the maw. Shaking the stars out of his field of vision, he turned to see three haggy women floating above him. "No." He whispered.

The Ancestress Witches: Emabia, Sind, Restatium, glowered down at him with their yellow eyes.

"I can't see a thing!" Prince Atmos exclaimed.

A sudden light filled the void. "Better?" Baltor asked.

"Not really," the prince said as his eyes took in their surroundings.

"Gross!" cried Glinda. Unlike everyone else her feet were bare and the ooze of the floor slipped between her toes. "Yuck." She flew up, trying to wipe her feet with her hands. That did little to uplift her disgust.

"I don't know," Elphaba began. "A little candlelight, a few skulls and a cauldron or two and this place could feel rather homey." All eyes turned on her in disbelief. "What?"

"Moving on." Rienhlocke took point. "Let's find our comrades and leave this place as quick as possible. I don't want to be on this planet when the fleet decides to light up the sky."

"Going up," Baltor said. He, Elphaba, Glinda, and Rienhlocke decided to fly. Prince Atmos was the only one stuck on the ground. "Care for a lift," the wizard asked him.

"I'd rather walk."

"Suit yourself."

The five of them proceeded onward within the innards of this bizarre underworld. The entire place seemed to be alive and it wasn't long before the ground beneath their feet (well, Prince Atmos') began to move.

"On second thought."

Baltor hoisted him up with his arms. "Of course now I can't use my magic."

Glinda came beside them. "I'll protect you."

"Look!" Elphaba said and pointed. A thick mass of flying things was heading right for them. They looked small and harmless…if you don't mind a thousand things with sharp teeth bearing down on you with reckless abandon.

"Dammit!" Rienhlocke removed two feathers from his white wings. A single word activated their special ability. He blew the two feathers outward where they then multiplied into hundreds more, only razor sharp. As the flying creatures bore in on them, the curtain of pointy feathers sliced a number of them to pieces. Countless bits of flesh piled to the floor accompanied by squeals of death. But they kept coming.

"Fall back!" he ordered.

The others did as he said. The mass kept after them, some diving down to eat away at the remains of their fallen brethren, picking up speed as they went. Baltor was falling behind since he had double the weight to carry. "Hurry it up, wizard!" the prince spat from below.

"If you'd like you can get off and run on your own two feet." Baltor growled back. He could feel the flock gaining and soon enough felt the sting of one of them nibbling at his boot. "Agh!" Losing altitude fast, Baltor briefly released one arm of the prince and fired a blast of magical fire at the creature. It was blown away, but was soon replaced by three more.

"Go up! Up!"

"There's too many." Baltor cringed at the feeling of a dozen needle-like teeth biting through his boots and could not find the strength to flee and fight at the same time. One of them managed to weave in under his defenses and bite his arm—the one holding Prince Atmos. "Ahhhh!" he let go. Atmos landed hard but tucked and rolled to alleviate the impact. Still, the breath was knocked out of him and his legs protested in pain. He stopped and did not get up. Baltor landed near him and raised his hands. He managed to fight off the few biting him with a magical blast but many more came in. "Atmos! Get up!"

"Uhhh…"

"Dammit!" Baltor looked over. "Rienhlocke!"

The three fleeing members of the Company turned to find their two friends surrounded by a horde of flying teeth. Baltor created a magical barrier to keep them from being devoured alive but he could not hold it forever. Prince Atmos finally stood up, shaking his head. He tried to rise to his feet but suddenly felt his hands sink through the ground. "What devilry is this?!" Baltor too found himself sinking but still maintained the barrier. Both he and Atmos continued to sink until they vanished beneath the fleshy earth.

"Atmos!" Glinda cried.

"Baltor!" Yelled Elphaba.

"Will this never end?" Rienhlocke swore as he watched the horde turn on them. "Come on." He dived for the surface. Elphie and Glinda followed though they knew not what he was up to. "Rienhlocke?" The fairy asked.

"We're going after them." Gathering energy in his hand, the paladin fired a mighty blast that burrowed into the earth. The ground heaved at the puncture and they could hear the entire world groan. Still, he'd been successful in creating a tunnel. Almost as soon as he did, however, the ground began to seal itself up. "Hurry now!" He and the girls became blurs as they dove into the tunnel. The hole closed itself immediately afterward. The flock of killer birds shrieked and fluttered about. They'd just lost their meal ticket and in their frustration many of them turned on each other.

The witches strung him up against the ceiling directly over the maw. It grew in size until it would have been able to swallow him many times over. Encompassing a third of the tower's upper floor, the miserable air from the maw made Saladin feel sick and his flesh crawl. Bile began to collect in his throat and he feared that at any moment he would throw up. Whether that would please or displease the maw he could not say. Either way something was going in or something was coming out and Saladin could not decide which was worst.

The webbing they encased him in looked to be made from a giant spider's work. He was completely covered save for his face. His tired brown eyes drained of most of their vigor.

"Such a sad man." The voice brought him out of a dazed confusion. He was barley able to move his head but from out of the corner could make out four small figures…and one large one…standing near the maw. Ameryl gazed somberly at Saladin from below but it was not her that spoke. One of the Ancestresses, Restatium, an ugly woman with scraggly hair so thin she was near bald, cackled. "To think you actually had feelings for this one, Ameryl."

"Yes," said the tallest of the three, Sind, who had a mane of thick gray hair that flowed behind her like a cape. She was also exceedingly thin. "You can do so much better. Perhaps we can interest you in a half-demon we often have trades with. He's not much on looks but has a great personality."

The last witch, and also the most powerful, Emabia, was shorter than her sisters and was great in bulk. Her mass would be enough to encompass both the others and Ameryl with room to spare. She had a receding hairline which was pulled back into dreadlocks. A spider, whom Saladin figured as her familiar, sat perched on her shoulder. "You have done us proud, Ameryl." Her voice was deep and throaty, a far cry from the gurgled Restatium and the high-pitched Sind. "Your actions here will have saved the universe for years to come. The Council shall fall and our war of justice will spread until all living things are free." Placing a fat hand on Ameryl's shoulder, she said, "And everyone will have you to thank."

Even from this distance, Saladin could see her shutter.

"Come sisters--we have much yet to do. The enemy fleet prepares to bombard this planet into oblivion. We must be ready before that happens." Emabia rose to the air and her sisters followed. Witches were dangerous opponents even when faced one-on-one, but in groups they were near unbeatable. This Coven in particular were feared far and wide. They were ancient, some say thousands of years old, with powers so great they could render planets asunder: which it seemed they were about to do.

Saladin tried to speak but his voice was weakened from the webbing. Still, he managed a whisper, "Ameryl."

She looked up, actually hearing him. "Fiyero." Beside her, the horror raised its many eyes to him. All of them were without pupils.

The witches rose in a circle and began chanting in a language forgotten by most. At once a great wind kicked up and the entire tower emanated with a green glow.

Saladin fought the tiredness. He squirmed despite the webbing. "Don't…do this…Ameryl." His hoarse voice carried.

She turned away. "It must be done. For the future."

"No. You….must…stop. This is…wrong." He struggled with every word. "This isn't…like…you…Ameryl. W-What hold…do these…witches…have…over you?"

"I do this of my own free will."

"I don't…believe you."

"Believe what you want. But know this: you are fighting for the wrong side."

"M-Make sense…Ameryl."

She turned back. "Days before the attack on Domino, the Ancestresses came to me. At first I tried to fight them but to no avail. They were too strong. I thought they meant to kill me, but instead they wanted to talk. They told me about the corruption in the Council and what they were secretly doing on Domino. I did not believe them of course, but when they provided me with top secret information and the means from which to find out for myself…" she paused momentarily. "I still refused to believe what they said. But the truth is I suspected certain things about the Council for some time and when they told me what they planned to do with the Dragonfire,"

"Dragonfire?" Saladin knew of it. Everyone did. It was a sacred beast said to be the guardian of Domino. Legend has it that it helped create the universe along with the other sacred beasts. But that was just a myth. Wasn't it?

"The Dragonfire exists." It seemed Ameryl had read his thoughts. "And it is powerful. In the wrong hands it can bring untold destruction to the universe. The Council made a pact with the king and queen, seeking to use the Dragonfire to bring about a new order. They wanted to use the sacred beast to subjugate all living beings."

"No…"

"I didn't believe it either. But I snuck into their secret meetings. I witnessed Oritel and Miriam working with the Council myself. They were willing to sacrifice their own kingdom for power. The bastards!"

"How…"

"The Dragonfire rests deep within the earth. Only the monarchs of Domino can control it but even they cannot govern the universe without the resources of the Council. Hence they forged an alliance. The Council would rule as figureheads but the real power would rest with Oritel and Miriam." She glared at him. "The Coven discovered this and attacked on the day they were to attempt to release the Dragonfire. The result of this devastation lies in the energies released when the monarchy tunneled into the earth in an attempt to find the sacred beast. Don't you see, Fiyero? They are the ones who betrayed us. They are evil. That is why I joined with the witches."

"This is not…true."

"Please reconsider. I want you at my side. I want all of you. You are my friends. I do not wish to harm any of you…but I will, if it means the safety of all we hold dear."

"Lies!" He managed to scream. "This is all lies!"

Ameryl bared her teeth. "You always were too stubborn for your own good." She turned her back on him and walked towards the witches.

Saladin did not believe any of it. The king and queen of Domino would never do this. _Never_. This had to be a trick of some sort. The witches poisoned Ameryl's mind. She was under a spell.

"You…are a traitor." The venom in his voice was so strong that the words came out in a rasp, much like an angry serpent's. At that Ameryl glared briefly his way. The look on Saladin's face was enough that she'd remember it the rest of her days. Never had she seen an expression of rage. His face contorted to an almost beastly manner and she began to wonder where he got the strength to frown like that. Even the webbing shook as his entire body trembled with anger. "A…TRAITOR!" Bits of foam spitted out of his mouth as the last of his strength was used to fire that remark. His head sagged and his breaths came out heavy and labored.

_Traitor? What I do now if for sake of all those I love. Hate me all you wish, Fiyero. Know that when this is all over, things will be better. For all of us._

"I'm sorry you feel that way," she said and returned to watching the Ancestresses in their circle. "Do you feel the same, Palladium?" She asked a moment later.

As if by magic, the elf appeared from the darkness of the hall entrance. His clothes were torn and there was a fresh wound on his left thigh, but other than that he seemed to be in good condition. That's more than can be said for his enemies.

With his sword in one hand and a shield he "borrowed" from one of the skeleton guardians, the elf shambled forth. He was tired, it was evident on his face, but he pressed on. His face was not one of anger or hate. It was cold. Remorseless. The scariest imaginable on his face. "Those men are dead, Ameryl." He said. "They trusted us to bring them back from the brink and you killed them."

"That was not I. It was the horror." She turned to him. "And need I remind you that it was I who saved your life? I tried to save those men but the horror would not listen. I barely managed to convince it to spare you."

"In that case I should thank you for if you hadn't then I would not be here to spoil your plan." He raised his sword to her. "Step away from the witches, Ameryl. Despite all that has transpired I have no wish to see you harmed."

"Don't…"

"Now."

The horror's eyes lit up with realization that the prey which eluded its sting earlier had returned. It reared up over the maw and approached him. "I cannot stop it a second time. Please go."

"Palla…dium…" Saladin winced while breathing. "F-flee."

"Not without you, dear friend. I wish I could say _friends_ but I seem to be one short." He aimed that at Ameryl. Pointing the sword at the horror Palladium squared off. "Not this time you beast!"

The horror had no mouth and yet still managed to emit a sound that reverberated through the air. It was less than ten feet from Palladium when Ameryl cried out, "Don't be a fool! That sword of yours isn't enough to slay it."

"Quite right." Palladium discarded the shield and out-raised his hand. "Mind if I borrow this, Fiyero?"

Saladin's staff had been left where he dropped it. It seems neither Ameryl nor the witches saw fit to do away with the thing or at the very least put it in safe keeping. People often make mistakes when overconfident. The staff sat dangerously close to the growing maw and was on the verge of falling in when Palladium called to it. While not its master, the staff recognized good will and seeing as how the elf sought to aid its master; it flew towards him rather willingly. With sword and staff in hand, Palladium was now more than ready. "Your power comes from the dark," he began. "Allow me to brighten your disposition!" both objects exploded with light and the horror cowered back. As he planned, the beast sought the nearest source of gloom to hide from the illumination and that was the maw. Once it crept inside, Palladium placed the glowing staff upright on the floor and raised his free hand. Bubbles swept up from his fingers and washed away the webbing.

Ameryl's eyes narrowed.

Saladin slipped free of his confines and was caught by a flying Palladium. The elf guided his human friend down until he stood by his staff. "You all right?"

"I will be." He grabbed his staff. His strength returned tenfold. Saladin stood up and stared down Ameryl. "Once she pays for her crimes."

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**Next time...The Company of Light must face the betrayal of one of their own as Domino's final hour comes to pass.**


	3. The Fall of Domino Part Three

**Author: The conclusion! I want to say thanks to Knight of Aura, Guardian's Light, and tears-in-rain for reviewing. Keep in mind this is only the prologue. The events of this story will have consequences for future chapters so pay attention! Hope you enjoy.

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3. The Fall of Domino (Part Three)

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"…_in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea." – Plato, 360 B.C.

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_

The ground yawned open—from their perspective, the ceiling—spitting out two rapidly falling forms to the living ocean below. Prince Atmos could not fly. Baltor could. Once again the proud monarch found himself relying on that blasted wizard.

"Any time, wizard," He said. Falling at this speed and with the air rushing about did not make it easy for sound to carry from one person to another. Baltor could not hear the prince's words. But he could still see. His expert eyes took in the scene almost immediately after their exit. They appeared to be in some sort of gigantic cavern with a membrane-like tissue coating the surface. The horizon stretched beyond what he could see though he spotted capillaries so huge they dwarfed any man-made structure dotting the sea. He could make out the hungry serpents below, each large enough to consume a cargo vessel, and probably an adult-sized dragon if the mouth could extend far enough.

But none of that held his attention for long. Beyond the dim red glow of the place, Baltor spotted what looked like a skeletal tower. It stood amid the serpents which made the only approach vector the air. Not even the craziest sailor would attempt these hungry waves.

"…tor!" The wizard heard the last three letters of his name before turning to the prince. Atmos was screaming something at him but he could not hear. It did not take a genius to figure what he wanted. _Why am I always stuck saving you?_ He wondered.

"Ugh…hold on." Baltor flew in close, grabbing the prince with both arms. He nearly yelped when Atmos' armor-clad hand clenched his right wrist; the one that flying set of jaws nibbled on.

He recoiled his hand and was stuck holding Atmos with the other. Being a bigger man and wearing a mail of armor, not to mention a sword and shield, that proved rather difficult. Like most wizards, fairies, and magic folk, Baltor spent so much time beefing up his mystical abilities that he left little time for physical training. He could feel his elbow groaning from the added weight and heard that part of his brain that dealt with self-preservation telling him to drop the prince and count his losses. The others would never forgive him for such a betrayal but he could just tell them he lost sight of Atmos during the fall and wasn't able to save him. That would leave Elphaba and Galinda all for himself. Perhaps Ameryl as well.

"Don't let me go!" Atmos cried as if reading the wizard's mind.

"The thought had crossed my mind," Baltor said. Whether Atmos could tell if he was joking or had been telling the truth (which had been the case) Baltor could not say. But his arm was beginning to hurt…no! To burn. That damn thing must have poisoned him. "Third time's the charm," he said.

"What?"

"This is the third time I saved you and now I think I've been poisoned." Baltor grimaced as he struggled to maintain his hold on Atmos. Already he could feel the nasty substance rummaging up his arm. If it reached the other arm then Atmos was as good as dropped. He looked around. The only landing spot seemingly available was that tower…but could they make it there before the poison took hold?

_We'll have to risk it._

"Hang on," he said, then after realizing the futility of that statement added, "I'm going to try to have us land on that tower over there. Try not to wiggle so much and maybe I can fly straight."

"Baltor. How bad is it?" Strange, but Baltor could swore he heard concern in his voice.

"My hand's gone numb."

"Oh hell."

"Already there. Oh and if you'd like to lighten my load, do drop that shield of yours. It alone weighs a fifth your weight."

"My shield! It's been part of my family for ages. Passed down through my fathers since the founding of our kingdom. You would have me discard it now?"

"Yes."

"How would you like it if I asked you to discard that trench coat of yours?"

"I have six at home."

"The answer is no!"

"Figures." Baltor struggled but with every breadth that took them closer to the tower he felt his strength draining and his sight going blurry. His temperature went up and he began to sweat. What kind of poison was that, he wondered as a sour taste emanated from his mouth, it would make a potent ingredient in some of his more powerful spells.

"Baltor," Atmos could see they were losing altitude fast. "Stay awake!"

"C…can't. T-trying to but…." He was losing the ability to speak. The tower was still a ways off and he knew that the poison will have long overtaken his body before they reached it. _Damn. This is not how I wanted it to end. I wonder if Elphie will miss me._

Before he knew it he was falling and Prince Atmos with him. Baltor heard his friend's cries to stay awake but the poison was too strong. At least, he thought at the edge of consciousness, he won't be awake when those fleshy serpents tear into him. He felt bad for Atmos but at the very least the prince could give those things some indigestion. It was a small payback but one that comforted Baltor as he felt his body go completely numb.

Meanwhile, Atmos screamed. He flailed his arms and legs wildly as they continued their plummet…only to have a net magically appear beneath them. The magical construct proved sturdy enough to hold them both and they hopped a little bit before coming to a halt. Disoriented but pleased to be alive, Prince Atmos turned to Baltor who was out cold. His armor proved a hindrance along the wobbly surface of the net and he could barely crawl, but he did finally manage to come up to Baltor and check his pulse. It was weak. His honor would never let him live it down if his comrade died while trying to save him. "Hang in there, Baltor. I'll save you."

"What's wrong with him," Rienhlocke appeared at the edge of the net, his great white wings soaring to either side. Even in his battered state he was a majestic sight—and a welcomed one at that.

"He was poisoned. His pulse is weak, Rienhlocke. You must save him."

"I'm a paladin, not a cleric. But perhaps fairy magic will do." Atmos followed his gaze to where Glinda and Elphaba were flying just to the other side. Elphie's face was grim with worry at the sight of Baltor's still body. Glinda looked worried too, but at the mention from the paladin she cracked her fingers and moved in closer. Removing a small vial that was attached to her chest, snuggled between her ample breasts, the fairy popped the cord and knelt down beside Baltor. Turning him over so that he lay on his back, she lifted his head ever slightly and tipped the edge of the vial to his lips where a drop of the magical liquid inside entered his mouth. Baltor's entire body suddenly glowed pink and a warmth not unlike the rays of the sun filled the air.

Once the light subsided, the wizard began to move. He opened his eyes, which focused solely on Glinda. "I take it I have you to thank for my miraculous recovery?"

Glinda's smile lit up her face. "Sure do."

He chuckled. "Thanks, Glinda."

"No problem," She said as he sat up. He took a look around. "Like it," she asked him in referral to the net. "It's a new spell."

Baltor studied her handiwork. "How new?"

"Actually this is my first time using it."

"I see." He turned to her. "So it just could have easily sliced us up into razor-thin pieces had the threads not been thick enough."

Embarrassment appeared on the fairy's face and she scratched the back of her neck. "I've been meaning to test it earlier but haven't had the time. It worked though, right?"

"Fairies." Elphaba folded her arms before her, giving the fairy a disapproving glare.

"I didn't see you do anything, Miss Hocus Pocus," Glinda shot back.

"Regardless we are indebted to you, Glinda. Our thanks," Atmos placed a hand over his heart and dipped his head into a bow.

"You're welcome."

"What is that?" Elphaba's question had every one turning to the tower in the distance.

"Our next stop," Rienhlocke said without hesitation. Turning back, "Baltor, can you fly?"

"I think so." Steadying himself on the net, the wizard tried to fly. He succeeded. "That fairy magic is some potent stuff."

"Can heal just about anything." Glinda took flight, her wings a blur of movement. She saw Elphaba grimacing and turned to her with a pout. "What's the matter? Jealous because I was the one who saved your boyfriend?"

Before a catfight could break out, Rienhlocke swooshed in between the two. "Now's not the time, ladies. We don't have much time before the ships leave and I have a lot of work waiting for me back at the Fjord so if you don't mind," he left the sentence hanging when he felt something. "Holy…"

"What is it, Rienhlocke?" Elphaba asked him.

"The tower. Now!" He sped off followed by Baltor, Elphaba, and Glinda.

"Wait!" They all stopped and turned around. Prince Atmos waved his arms about. "You can't just leave me here. This net won't hold forever."

"I'm through playing carrier pigeon," Baltor said and flew off.

"Not it!" Glinda followed.

"I'm the leader," Rienhlocke said. "Have to…you know…lead." And with that he joined the procession.

Elphaba tapped her foot in the air as if on solid ground. "And as usual the witch is left picking up the rear."

"Elphaba," Atmos uttered as the net began to flicker on and off signifying it was at the end of its ropes. "If you don't mind."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the witch went to pick him up. Moments later the two were making an awkward beeline towards the tower. If Baltor found Atmos heavy before, the physically frailer Elphaba could not help but bob up and down from physical exertion of her entire body. "This…is…undignified," she complained between bobs.

"How do you think I feel?" Atmos watched his legs flail about in the open air. "Let's make a promise never to tell any one about this little incident."

"Agreed."

--)---

Saladin and Palladium stood on one side of the maw. On the other was Ameryl, the traitor woman. Behind and above her were the three Ancestress witches in deep incantations. A final showdown was about to take place with an entire world crumbling about them. To continue this fight was foolish but the Company of Light had a bone to pick with one of their own.

"Ameryl!" Saladin yelled. "You've betrayed everything you stood for. How could you?"

"I am no traitor! And you are a fool for continuing to believe the lies the Council has fed you."

"Look around you. This world is dying and you preach about what is right? How many have died just so you could carry out a vendetta against the Council?"

"Didn't you listen to me? I told you they are the ones responsible for this."

"The Council would never,"

"YES THEY HAVE!" She spoke with such ferocity that he was immediately silenced. "I forced myself not to believe it! I told myself it was all a lie! But I found the truth, Fiyero. It is we who have been betrayed by the Council and the king and queen of Domino. Their ambitions have sealed this world's fate and if we don't stop them here then the entire universe will suffer."

"But to ally yourself with the Ancestresses,"

"If it means saving civilization as we know it."

"There is a price,"

"No price is too great."

"And what of your soul?"

Her eyes narrowed, nostrils flared.

Saladin pleaded with her to stop. "Ameryl, please…"

"Are these fools still here?" One of the witches, the skinny one, Sind, descended beside Ameryl. Her feet never touched the ground. Saladin could not tell if she had any in the first place. Instead, she just floated there, her very long hair flowing almost magically behind her as if caught in an updraft. "Why do you not kill them, Ameryl? Their very presence is an affront to the eyes."

Palladium scoffed. "And just who are you calling ugly you old witch? Don't tell me those wrinkles are the result of gravity tugging at your skin."

The witch hissed. "Watch that tongue of yours, elf! Else I remove it from your mouth altogether."

"You are welcomed to try." Palladium raised his shortsword. In truth he knew he could not stand against the powerful female in battle, but his sworn duty was to protect life and so he'd battle a dragon if he must. "Rest assured my tongue will be the least of your worries."

Then Sind laughed—a scary sound that grated against the eardrums. "How amusing." She pointed at the maw. "Arise my pet and finish them off!"

The horror surged out of the maw with speed that defied its massive size. Before either men could react it lashed out with one of its stalks. Palladium barely had time to duck as the appendage flew over his head. Saladin wasn't so fast. While he did manage to bring up his staff for defense it proved little use against the sudden attack. The mage was cast aside like some discarded toy. Palladium watched him skid over the edge and out of his sight. Angry, the elf let out a powerful war cry and leaped at the horror, sword poised for a stabbing attack. He froze almost instantly—literally. His body turned black and white as he became frozen in time in mid-leap. The horror had cast a spell using one of its other eyes and held the elf in place. Now he was stuck, at the mercy of the merciless creature.

Sind floated over to where Saladin had fallen. The durable human was dangling over the edge, one hand preventing him from falling the considerable distance between tower peak and writhing sea. In his other hand he held his staff. Looking up at the ancient hag, Saladin put on as brave a face as his situation would allow. Sind cackled. "Stubborn, this one. I can see why you liked him so much."

Ameryl appeared at Sind's side. In her face Saladin could see a twinge of sadness over what had transpired. Maybe it wasn't to late to reach her still.

"Ameryl. Please…help me…" It was not a plea of desperation, more of a plea of dread of what may happen should she choose to remain with the witches. Ameryl was a good woman. He knew it. He would never have fallen in love with her otherwise. "I…I love you Ameryl."

"Love?" Sind spat. "What man in love would choose duty over his heart? You are nothing more than a hypocrite! Your Ameryl is doing something you never had the courage to do yourself! If you weren't so blinded by your faith you'd realize that she does what she does for the good of all. Can you say the same, wizard of Ferendor Fjord? Do you do what you do because in your heart you believe it is right or because the Council tells you it's right?"

"I…I…" Saladin grits his teeth.

"You see, Ameryl." Sind placed a bony hand on her subordinate's shoulder. "He obeys the Council's orders without the slightest inkling of self thought. A man who does not think for himself is no man at all in my opinion."

"That's not true. I follow my own heart."

"He lies. Don't listen to him, Ameryl."

"Shut up! You know nothing."

"I know she chose us and not you." Sind snapped. "Why is that?"

"You poisoned her mind with lies! The Ameryl I knew would never listen to the likes of you. You've done something to her."

"You're right. I've shown her the truth."

"Or maybe the half truth!" Saladin looked to Ameryl. "Think about it. Why would they go to you first? Why not Rienhlocke or Palladium or myself? You work directly for the Council, Ameryl. You have access to highly sensitive information. The witches could never hope to find out about their plans without someone on the inside. That someone is you! You say the Ancestress witches are trying to stop the Council from taking over the universe. Why then did they not go public with the information you gathered? Better yet, why did you not come to us? We would have listened. We are your friends!"

"May I remind you child, that not long ago this _friend_ was ready to claim your head," Sind said. "Seems to me that loyalty isn't highly prized among the Company of Light."

Saladin ignored her, instead focusing all his attention on Ameryl. "Consider this: even if what you saw was the truth, does it make any sense for Oritel and Miriam to destroy Domino? This is their seat of power. Without it, they must rely on the Council for protection. If that was the case, then the Council would be in charge and they would be the puppets. You said so yourself that the king and queen need their resources. Do you think they would jeopardize themselves by placing their future in the hands of the Council? It makes no sense."

"You did not see what I saw, Fiyero. You could not understand."

"You're right. I don't understand any of this. You most of all. But you never gave me a chance. You never gave us a chance. The Company has always been with you no matter what. If your information proved valid then we would have stood by you without hesitation. We'd have faced the Council together and deposed Oritel and Miriam. But you didn't. Why? Answer me that, Ameryl. Why is it you trusted the Ancestress Witches but not your closest friends whom you've known for years?"

"I…I…" in a manner once befitting Saladin, Ameryl was at a lost for words. Her eyes widened. It was as if she was waking up from a troubled dream. "I…don't know…"

"I think the witches did do something to you. Maybe it wasn't obvious. Maybe what you saw made you so angry that it left you vulnerable enough for them to influence you in some way. Or maybe they set up the whole thing. They made you see what they wanted you to see." Saladin's shoulder protested from hanging for so long but he continued. "Or maybe it was all a misunderstanding. Dammit, Ameryl! I don't know! But what I do know is that everything about this is wrong! You know that!"

"I…" Ameryl grabbed her head. "I…don't know…"

"You do!"

"Shut up!" She turned away from him and Sind. Still holding her head, the sorceress stumbled away. "You're confusing me. I'm trying to do the right thing."

"That's what they want you to think!"

"I think you've said enough, little man," Sind said as she loomed over him. "Perhaps you'd like to go for a swim?" she reached with one hand and with strength surpassing her thin frame hoisted the mage into the air. Her hand was freezing to the touch and sent chilling pains down Saladin's arm but he fought through it to reach Ameryl.

"Ameryl!" He cried through clenched teeth. "The witches have won. They…_argh_…they have crushed all resistance and forced the royal family to flee. Mission accomplished! So why do they yet continue?"

Ameryl stopped. Her head still hurt but she managed to give him her ear.

"Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps they want to use the Dragonfire itself?"

"N-No. The Dragonfire can only be wielded by members of the royal family. They would fail in such action."

"You see?" Sind asked as she sent another chill through his body. "There goes your argument out the window."

He grimaced. Every moment he stayed conscious brought pain and misery to his mind but he pushed through it. "Granted. But maybe control is not what they seek. Without a hand to guide it, the sacred beast will run amok, destroying everything in its path until it is sated or destroyed. I can't think of a better way for a hostile takeover to be more successful…_ah!_...than from rebuilding from the ashes. The Dragonfire will destroy all opposition, allowing the witches to rebuild the universe in their image. Nothing will be able to stop them. _Uhhgh!_"

"That's…not true."

"Silence mortal!" Sind raised him higher. "And while you're at it, give me that little stick of yours." She reached for the staff but Saladin would not let go. "You're a glutton for pain aren't you?" She sent a chilling spell into the staff and Saladin screamed.

"Fiyero!" Turning, Ameryl almost ran back when the two other witches got in her way. "Ameryl," the one called Restatium began, "Don't let this boy cloud your thoughts. Extreme measures had to be taken to ensure that this travesty does not happen on other worlds. We may have stopped their plans but what's to prevent them from trying again? Our task now is to make sure neither the Council nor the royal family can make such an attempt in the future."

"She's right," Emabia, the leader, said. "They must never obtain the Dragonfire. We are making sure of it." She raised a bulbous hand to pet her large spider familiar on her shoulder. "We only want to keep it safe from prying hands."

"Does that include yours?" Saladin wailed.

"Silence!" Sind ordered.

"Dammit! They used you, Ameryl! You were their informant. Their spy. Now they stand on the verge of profiting from your misguided allegiance. If the Dragonfire truly exists then its release will herald an age of death and destruction without the guiding hand of a pure heart. The witches will taint it, fuel it with their wickedness and all will suffer for it. They are evil, Ameryl. You must see that."

"I have heard enough," Emabia looked over at Sind. "Honestly, dear sister, why haven't you just dropped him already? You always love to play with your food."

"And allow it to talk too much," said Restatium.

Sind shrugged. "What can I say? I love to watch them squirm." She turned to Saladin. "Like a worm."

"Careful," Saladin glared right back at her. "Some worms have teeth." Concentrating, he sent a surge of power through his staff. It burst forth with energy, blinding the witch and causing her to lose her grip on the mage. Saladin fell but maintained enough magic to slow his descent. The witch's cold touch had drained him, but he wasn't about to retreat. He'd been getting through to Ameryl and that had to count for something. He would not leave her in the hands of those witches.

Flying back up, Saladin found himself facing not one, but two Ancestresses. Restatium and Sind confronted him while Emabia stood with Ameryl. "Deal with that one," she told her sisters while leading Ameryl away. She was still clutching her head and did not protest as Emabia led her away.

"Ameryl." Saladin raised his staff. "Out of my way!"

"The boy gives us orders?" Restatium laughed.

"Bad worm." Sind reached out with her cold hand.

Before any of them could make a move, Rienhlocke and Baltor appeared on either side of Saladin. "You should know," the paladin started. "Some worms travel in groups."

Saladin's face beamed. "I was wondering when you would get here."

"Took a wrong turn at the hellmouth," Baltor said and got into a fighting stance. "So these are the Ancestresses? The title fits."

Rienhlocke spread his wings. "This ends now."

"Our words exactly." Sind and Restatium raised their hands and unleashed an attack. The three heroes raised magical shields to block it. They were forced back but managed to maintain their defense.

"Tough old hags aren't they?" Baltor said.

"Saladin…is that Ameryl and Palladium in there?" Rienhlocke asked.

"Yes."

"What's up with the elf?" asked Baltor.

"Frozen…by the horror."

"They have a horror? That's not good."

"And what of Ameryl?"

Saladin did not want to answer the paladin's question. "S-she has been misled. We must save her."

Both wanted to ask what he meant but Saladin pressed onward. "Damn you! Let me through!"

--)---

Her head hurt so much. What Fiyero had said had punctured something deep within her mind. Like kicking at a door that refused to open, Ameryl could only cringe with further discomfort the more she thought on it.

"Come child." Emabia gently steered her away from the ensuing battle. Her sisters would prove more than a match for that bothersome Company of Light. Right now she had more important matters to attend. "That wizard was wrong, you know. You were not just an informant. In fact you are far more valuable to us than you know."

They approached the horror who still guarded Palladium. Half of the stalks turned their massive eyeballs to watch their approach. The white orbs were empty. Soulless. A few of them watched the battle taking place while the remaining kept vigil over the elf. Emabia took Ameryl to the edge of the maw. A black abyss greeted them. "There." She directed Amery's attention to the depths. "Down there lays the Dragonfire."

Ameryl looked despite the throbbing in her head. None of this was of interest to her now. Fiyero's words lingered at the back her mind and was fumbling to get up front where the good seats were. What felt wrong in all this? Was it really her choice or was somebody pulling the strings.

"Once it is unleashed it will herald the dawn of a new age for all magickind."

"Unleashed?" Ameryl gazed at her. "Then you do intend to release it."

"It is the only way."

"But without a royal member of the family to guide its wrath the beast will destroy all in its way."

"Sacrifices must be made."

"No. Too many lives will be lost. Too many lost already." Ameryl stumbled away from her grasp. "Is Fiyero right? Are your intentions wicked?"

"Wicked? Hardly. Surely you of all people understand how far reaching the Council's corruption goes. If we do not put a stop to it here and now then all these sacrifices, all this, Domino, it's people, everything, will have been for naught." She went on. "With the Dragonfire we can finally end the Council's reign of terror. Oritel and Miriam were fools and their world was the first to pay for their arrogance. I weep for the souls lost this day. They must be avenged. Put their spirits to rest, Ameryl. Help us finish what we started and the future will have been secured. Isn't that what you want?"

"I want to put an end to all this. An entire world destroyed. Families lost. I can't stand it anymore." She turned to Emabia. "Why not let the Dragonfire rest? Destroy this tower and seal it away forever. That way no one will be able to claim its power."

"But the Council remains."

"We can still bring down the Council. I have the information that can,"

"They control the media. The people will believe anything they tell them to believe. A fly cannot bring down a dragon by the mere buzzing of its wings."

"But it can overtime poison the dragon, making it weaker until the beast succumbs to the venom."

"I won't exchange colorful metaphors with you anymore. Suffice it to say that boyfriend of yours had clouded your judgment with his words."

"Or cleared them. I'm not so sure anymore." Her words were barely audible but Emabia's sharp ears managed to pick them up. She spared one quick glance at the horror, then at Ameryl. She even glimpsed over at Palladium who was still frozen in the air. Then her eyes fixed solely on Ameryl's back. Her spider familiar clicked anxiously.

"Let me clear your mind of any doubts, child." She felt the woman shudder beneath her touch but did manage to have her turn around and face her. Emabia could see her features cringe in disgust at being so close. To Ameryl, Emabia was hideous and emitted an odor that verged on death, but the witch held her composure as she wrapped one fat arm around the girl and directed her toward the maw. A low roar emitted from the depths. "Hear that? That is the Dragonfire. It is awakening. When it emerges it will bring forth a Golden Age free from the tyranny of the Council." She leaned in closer. "And it's all thanks to you."

Something cold and sharp struck Ameryl in the back. She need not turn around to see it for the end of it was jutting out of her stomach. A crooked knife. Her blood pouring at the tip. Blood gurgled in her mouth and seeped down her lips and she turned to face Emabia. "N…No…"

"Yes, deary. All thanks to you." Removing the conjured knife with her mind, Emabia released Ameryl as blood sprayed from the wound. She stumbled, tittered dangerously close to the maw, and reared back her head. The cloak of her hood slid off revealing a man of beautiful gold hair. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she finally lost her footing and fell into the maw.

--)---

While the boys kept the witches busy, Glinda came around the other side for a rear assault. She hid behind one of the pillars which held the roof aloft and peered in. She was surprised, to say the least, to find Ameryl standing side by side with the fat witch. She also laid eyes on the horror and Palladium. Known for being spontaneous, Glinda would usually charge into a situation winx blazing. But going toe-to-toe with one of the Ancestresses alone was a fool's errand and Glinda was no fool. She laid back and watched as the witch led Ameryl toward the maw, conjured up a knife using dark magic, and stabbed her in the back. She cried out when she saw Ameryl tip over into the maw and disappeared from view.

The time for caution had passed. Glinda leaped from her hiding position and sped straight for the maw. The horror was the first to see her with an eye, hard not to do when you had a hundred of the things, and mentally alerted the witch to the fairy's presence. Emabia turned to face her. With but a thought she sent the knife hurling towards the fairy but Glinda proved too agile. She dodged the missile and dived into the maw after Ameryl.

In the darkness she could just barely make out Ameryl's falling form and sped her wings even faster to catch up. Glinda always was the fastest of any fairy back in her home realm and among the Company of Light. She easily closed the distance between her and Ameryl and grabbed her. "Hang on." Though that last statement would be like telling a rock to stay put she had to say something that would assure Ameryl that she'd been saved. A glint of light caught her eye and she stared down at the maw. Something was coming up. Something big. And angry.

Exiting the maw with as much speed as she could muster while carrying Ameryl, Glinda placed her a safe distance away from the maw by a nearby column. "Ameryl." The wound was deep and blood kept gushing forth. She quickly removed the vial she used earlier to save Baltor and was about to administer the medicine when a shadow loomed over her. The horror snuck up behind Glinda and struck her with a stalk. She flew away, landing hard several yards from where she left Ameryl. Dazed, Glinda was unable to mount a defense as the horror closed in.

It was at that moment, having caught up, that Elphaba and Atmos arrived on the scene. Still carrying the prince, Elphaba released him like a projectile towards the horror. While in air, Atmos removed his sword and cut downward, severing at least a dozen of the monster's protruding eyes with one blow. The horror let out a mental scream that had all the witches, including Elphaba who was in tune with darkness, to cry out and collapse to the floor.

That lull in the fighting allowed the three warriors battling the sisters time to regroup and converge on the tower. Saladin went straight for Ameryl, gasping at the hole in her gut. "She's dying!" he fell to his knees, his heart breaking at the sight. "Somebody help her!"

Rienhlocke and Baltor kept an eye on the witches while Atmos prepared to fight the horror. The paladin looked over at Elphaba who was just recovering from the mental shock. "You okay?" She nodded. "See to Glinda and Ameryl. We'll hold them off as long as we can."

"D-Dragon-fire…" Ameryl wheezed through bloody gasps. "Coming."

Saladin held her in his arms. "Don't talk, Ameryl. You're bleeding badly."

She raised a weak hand to touch his face. "Please…you must stop it. Don't…let it out…"

Elphaba reached Glinda who was just now sitting up. "Glinda." She knelt. "Ameryl's in trouble. Can you save her?"

"My vial." Glinda looked around. She spotted it ten feet away. The fairy crawled on all fours towards the vial. A flying knife nearly severed her outreaching hand. "I hate fairies," Emabia said from her position on the other side the maw. "And I hate wizards too."

"Actually I'm a paladin."

"Silence!"

"And I'm a knight." Prince Atmos attacked the horror, cutting off another stalk. "I am Prince Atmos of Eraklyon! Oh, and that one over there's just an elf." He motioned toward Palladium.

"And we are the Ancestress Witches." Emabia rose to the air. "Heirs to the Ancient Coven." Her sisters joined her. "Our plans will not be foiled by a bunch of children!" All three gathered their magic, emanating dark energy all around them. They each fired at Baltor and Rienhlocke who despite their best efforts proved unable to hold their ground. Rienhlocke skidded across the ground while Baltor was thrown against a far off pillar. Elphaba fired an energy ball that bounced off the witches' barrier. "Traitor!" Restatium yelled and sent an attack that threw Elphaba off her feet. "You dare attack your own kind?"

Elphaba slowly got back up. "You are not my kind." She was holding a bruised shoulder.

Atmos meanwhile was having troubles of his own. The horror unleashed a sonic blast that while he managed to block with his shield had forced him back. Falling to his knees from the exertion, Atmos began to pant. "That the best…you got?"

Glinda got to her feet. "Guys this isn't working. We need a plan and fast. That thing down there is coming up and pretty soon the witches will be the least of our problems."

Saladin wanted to join the fray but could not leave Ameryl's side. She was dying. Her breathing was weaker and blood continued to come from her mouth. "Just hang in there, Ameryl. We'll save you. Just hang on."

"Fiyero." She touched his face. "I'm sorry."

"All forgotten. You were under their spell. There's no need to seek forgiveness."

"But there is…from you. You do realize that I have feelings for you?"

"Likewise."

"And you know that eventually I would have gathered up the courage to admit them to you."

"I think I was a bigger coward than you."

"So much I wanted to say…"

"You'll get that chance." He looked up. "Glinda! The vial!"

"No." She told him. "There's something I have to do. The Dragonfire."

"What?"

"It must be stopped."

"And it will. _After_ you are healed."

"Not much point in doing that now." She smiled up at him. Her hand caressed his face. "Stand me up."

"What?"

"Please. I need your help." He hesitated. But Ameryl's beautiful purple eyes pleaded and he did as she asked. She moaned in agony as he did so, using Saladin as a crutch. "Fiyero," she began. She then stopped to look at all her friends. Rienhlocke, the mighty paladin of Ferendor Fjord; Baltor, the cynical but cunning wizard; Glinda, a wonderful friend and a powerful fairy; Elphaba, a witch with a heart as big as her power was great; Prince Atmos, never had she met a more honorable or courageous knight; Palladium, brilliant and strong; and Fiyero…her Fiyero.

She kissed him. Even with the blood on her lips it was the sweetest thing the mage had ever tasted. She pulled back. "I love you."

"I…love you too."

"Good." She placed a palm on his chest. A sudden shock stunned him and he fell to his knees. Baffled, he looked up into her eyes; those beautiful eyes and saw no maliciousness but only love. "Take care of them." Ameryl summoned the last of her magic to elevate her above the ground. All members of the Company of Light were struggling to fend off the witches' attacks—and losing. Ameryl gathered her courage and sped forward.

"Ameryl!" Saladin gasped.

All eyes turned to the sorceress who then did the unthinkable—she went right into the maw. Cries of shock and of despair filled the air but they all died down as Ameryl descended. She could see the fire below growing brighter. She could feel the beast's rage as it was rose from its slumber. She could feel its power. She knew that was the last thing she would ever do if she continued. She knew she would not have it any other way.

With her golden hair fluttering about her, Ameryl raised her arms as if to embrace the Dragon. Tears filled her eyes but they were not of her impending demise. Rather it was for the love of her friends and that one special man that she was about to sacrifice herself for that filled her with light. And light it was. For Ameryl began to glow. "I love you all." Were her last words…and she met with the Dragon.

--)---

As he watched his love die, Saladin did not do anything as cliché as scream out her name one last time. On his knees, a face as placid as stone, the realization that hit was such that all manner of emotion was gone. For that moment he was empty. Saladin had died the instant he saw her fall. Nothing mattered anymore.

"NOOO!!!" Glinda cried.

With a roar, Prince Atmos renewed his battle with the horror with unmatched fury. The creature found itself on the defensive and recoiled with each hack of that terrible blade. Like some crazed gardener, Atmos cut the stalks like they were weeds, an appendage plopping to the floor with each successful strike.

Rienhlocke attacked the witches head on. His wings shimmered white and with a flap unleashed a hail of bladed feathers. Erecting a barrier, the Ancestresses weathered the assault but were unprepared for an attack by Elphaba who, using a counter spell to their barrier, managed to penetrate the wall and tackled Emabia. The two witches rolled across the floor, stopping only when Emabia managed to push her off. Elphaba quickly recovered. Her nails extended to the length of daggers and she began to swipe at Emabia. The later was forced on the defensive and was slowly backed away by Elphaba's frenzied assault.

Saladin was still in a coma-like state when Glinda came to him. "Saladin? Saladin! Snap out of it! We need you." She tried shaking him but that didn't work. Finally she slapped him…once…twice…thrice…by the fourth time he actually blinked. "Come out of it! We lost her. Now it's time to take revenge!" It was strange hearing such venomous words coming from the sweet and cheerful fairy but they seemed to do the trick. His face hardened and at once again the mage got to his feet. Staff in hand, he directed his anger upon the nearest enemy: the horror.

"To the Abyss with you!" A might blast of magical energy incinerated half of the creature. As it crumbled to the ground, Atmos finished it off with a stab at what looked to be a vital organ. With a last pitched cry the horror died and withered into nothingness like a raisin. With the creature's magic dissipated, Palladium was freed from the time trap. "What now?!" He cried and nimbly rolled upon landing. He almost fell right into the maw but managed to right himself rather quick. Gasping, the elf took two long steps back. "Whoo. That was close."

"Elf!" Baltor yelled to get his attention. He was stepping towards the remaining Ancestresses, his fists blazing with fire. "Get over here!"

Not needing to understand the situation, Palladium joined Baltor in a concentrated barrage of attacks: Baltor with his fists, Palladium with his sword. With Rienhlocke providing air cover Sind and Restatium were being assailed from all sides. Saladin raised his staff high into the air before brining it down so hard it chipped the floor. "Everybody move!" He ordered. Chanting a spell into the staff, he waved his hands behind the object in an intricate pattern. The head of the dragon staff glowed with the ruby inset. Glinda meanwhile provided some cover. Forming a magical bow in the hands, the fairy fired energy arrows at the witches. One of them clipped Sind's right cheek and she howled as black blood spewed forward.

"Die!" Saladin stomped his foot, shoved his hands forward, and suddenly a wall of fire burst forth. It shot between Restatium and Sind, cutting them off before a second wall, this one in the middle, shot out, striking both witches. The design grew, forming a circle around the cross until the sisters were trapped. With one final motion, Saladin smashed both his fists together in front of him; anything encased in that wall of fire would be dead upon the explosion. The tower shook from the blast.

Glinda, Baltor, Palladium, Atmos and even Rienhlocke were awed by that display of power. Saladin was covered in sweat, the ordeal taking a lot out of him. But as the smoke cleared, two piles of ashes remained.

"Ah!" Elphaba's cry had everyone turning. Emabia's spider familiar had bitten her and she smacked it away. A green spot appeared where the spider's teeth had punctured her suit and reached the skin. She fell to one knee, knowing that this time it was she who was poisoned.

"Fools!" Emabia said as the spider returned to her. "We are one in the same, my sisters and I. so long as one of us survives, so do the others." With that, the piles of ash reformed into Restatium and Sind, making Saladin's previous attempt to kill them a mockery at best.

They cackled as only witches can and gathered together in a group. Palladium rushed over to aid Elphaba who could barley stand. Apparently the poison used this time was far more potent and she blacked out. "You won't die today, Elphie." Glinda was not the only one with healing magic at her disposal. Palladium was a master of potions and he had one on him that could fix any illness. Reaching inside his vest, the elf removed a vial and brought it to her mouth. A few sips and her eyes fluttered open. She coughed. "I hate grape."

Emabia raised her voice. "That was pointless, elf. She'll only die now with all of you. Sisters!" Together they gathered their energy for one final attack when the tower began to shake. The maw groaned as smoke bellowed from it and the surface began to crack. "What is this?" the great witch asked.

"It's Ameryl!" Rienhlocke exclaimed. "She's silenced the Dragonfire."

"Impossible!"

"Not for the Company of Light," the paladin went on. "One of our own died to prevent your wickedness from spreading. We will not let our friend's sacrifice be in vain by allowing you to live to try again." He turned. "Everyone bring this place down!"

Glinda, Elphaba, Atmos, Saladin, Palladium and Baltor all started tearing down the pillars that kept the roof up. With the crumbling of the tower this only further destabilized the structure. Rienhlocke meanwhile kept the sisters busy. "You plan to kill us all?" Emabia asked as she lashed out at him with her fingers. Her familiar pointlessly pecked at him with its legs in an attempt to flail him.

"Hardly. Glinda! Net!"

"Gotcha." Glinda enacted her spell and unleashed it a moment before Rienhlocke moved out of the way. All three witches, plus the spider, were trapped on the ground. "Have fun in oblivion," she said. "Let's get out of here!"

"You think this net can hold us?" Emabia cracked. "We are the Ancestresses. Our powers know no bounds."

"Too bad your mouths don't." Palladium fired as he assisted Baltor in hoisting Atmos up and away.

"Sister!" Restatium called to Emabia. "I can't teleport."

"Oh," Glinda looked back. "Did I forget to mention my net prevents teleportation? Silly me. Bye." She followed the others out just as the ceiling caved in on them.

"Damn you! This isn't over!" Emabia wailed as the heavy roof snuffed out her screams along with her sisters'. The whole tower snapped and buckled in. It disappeared into the sea of giant serpents.

"Good riddance." Elphaba spat at the serpents below and with one final look at where the tower used to be added, "There isn't a hell bad enough for those three."

"And no heaven kind enough," Saladin sobbed. "For Ameryl."

--)---

Only one ship, the skimmer, remained by the time the Company returned to the stadium. Aboard was the young solider who spoke to Rienhlocke before their arrival. "Ahoy!" He yelled as he saw them coming in. "Hurry now! The fleet's about to glass this rock!"

Once the team was aboard they took their leave. The ruined landscape of Domino fell away behind them. The black clouds had nearly enveloped the entire world and the skimmer was rocked as it tried to avoid the lighting strikes and a hail of tornadoes. Once they cleared the planet, the skimmer joined the armada around the doomed world. No sooner had they escaped when a thousand ships bearing the insignia of the Magix Council opened fire. Domino turned into a sea of molten fire in mere seconds from the onslaught. Anything down there still living, evil or otherwise, was now dead.

Hours later, the skimmer had docked aboard a cruiser destined for the nearest safe port. The Company of Light had their wounds tended to and were allowed privacy to eat, sleep, and contemplate their loss.

Saladin didn't do anything but contemplate. He took Ameryl's lose the hardest and sat alone in the hangar of the vessel watching the stars go by. Some of those stars resembled her eyes. He wanted to cry, to let out his frustrations at being unable to save her, but he just couldn't. Saladin didn't think he would ever cry again. Tears were a meaningless elegy to one so incredible.

Rienhlocke arrived and walked over to him holding a mug of some hot beverage. He sat down next to Saladin, only offering him the mug when he needed to alternate holding his own to do its excessive heat. After a while, Saladin finally spoke. "I miss her so much."

"As do we all, my friend. Ameryl was…she was the best of us."

"Why did she do it, Rienhlocke? How could she have sided with those witches?" Palladium had filled the group in on what happened prior to their arrival and they were all in shock. To think Ameryl helped the witches destroy Domino. But nobody judged. They were too distraught over her death to do so.

"Best I can think she was tricked into doing so."

"I can't believe she would fall for it. She was too smart."

"Ameryl knew the Council was corrupt long before she joined the witches. They seized on her suspicions. They knew she wanted to bring them down no matter what. It was that desire that enabled them to turn her."

"You mean to tell me she gave into her own worst fears?"

"Happens to the best of us."

"No!" Saladin threw the mug to the ground where it shattered, spilling its contents. "Not Ameryl! She was the strongest of us all."

Rienhlocke sighed. "You have any idea how far I had to carry that? Burned my hand along the way too."

"Damn them! May those bitches burn for all eternity in whatever hell they fell into. My only regret is that I couldn't kill them myself."

"You had a hand in their demise."

"With my own two hands."

Again the paladin sighed. "Bloodlust doesn't suit you, Fiyero." The mention of his first name. Rienhlocke never referred to him like that. It was always Saladin this or Saladin that. "But I'll tell you what does." He got up and walked to him. "You are noble. That was one reason Ameryl cared for you so much. She saw in you all the good things in this universe and I have no doubt in my mind that was the driving force that made her do what she did. To save people like you."

"I did not want her to die." He began to sob.

Rienhlocke gathered him in a strong embrace. Elf men were not as reserved as human males. "We'll miss her." Even he began to tear up. "Oh Ameryl we'll miss you so much."

The other members of the Company arrived. They each were well-rested and fed. They joined Saladin and Rienhlocke to remember their fallen friend. Hours went by and soon even Saladin was laughing at the mention of a funny story with Ameryl. Glinda was narrating.

"I did not!" Elphaba cried.

"And Elphie was like 'Eep! Get it off me! Get it off me! And Ameryl had to bat it off with a wet mob. Elphaba was so soaked her hair looked just like the mop."

"I did not squeal like some fairy girl. You are not telling the story as it happened."

"It's funnier this way," Baltor chuckled. "Go on, Glinda. Tell us another."

Elphaba glared at the dark wizard.

"Seeing your reaction, Elphie, makes me wish I was there to see it," Baltor said.

Glinda clapped her hands. "Ooh I've got another one. You guys remember that time we were on Zenith when a virus crashed their mainframe? Well, Ameryl, Palladium and I,"

"Oh I remember this one," Palladium said.

After a couple more wonderful memories of Ameryl, which the group laughed and cried about, the young lad came into the hangar looking for them. "Company of Light."

"Ah." Rienhlocke looked over. "If it isn't our dear young friend. Concorda, is it?"

"Codatorta, sir. Shamus Codatorta."

"Indeed." The paladin stood up to greet the young knight. He was a mountain of a youth, standing almost as tall as the paladin himself. He had chocolate eyes and brown hair cut in military fashion. Already the boy was muscled and looked like he could wrestle a dragon with those arms of his. "What brings you here, Shamus Codatorta? Checking up on your charges?"

"Came to tell you that we're about to make port in Miran. Several high-ranking members of the Council wish to speak with you concerning the Domino mission." At mention of the Council, Saladin's eyes flared. "Also have a bit of information I think you'd like to hear about. Turns out that King Oritel and Queen Miriam are missing."

"What?" Atmos asked.

"Disappeared. No one knows where they've gone off to. Word is they were so distraught over the loss of their daughter that they couldn't face the world."

"They lost their daughter?" Rienhlocke lowered his head. "Wasn't she with them during the evacuation?"

"Details are sketchy, sir. All I know is that upon hearing of her demise we lost all trace of them. Investigation teams are already on the case but it doesn't look good."

"How do you lose two monarchs?" Elphaba asked Shamus.

"Don't know ma'am. Suffice it to say that in addition to losing their world the Domino refugees are without a leader. Poor souls."

"They will survive." Rienhlocke told everyone. "I will see to it."

"You mean to take them back to Ferendor Fjord?" Baltor asked him.

"There are many uninhabited areas surrounding the keep. They'll be safe there to grow and prosper."

"I'm afraid," Shamus began. "Sir that the fate of the refugees is in the hands of the Council."

"We will see about that."

"In the meantime," Shamus removed several envelopes from his inside pocket. "These came for each of you. They were marked urgent so I came as fast as I could."

"What could these be?" Baltor asked.

"With my luck it's an invoice," Rienhlocke said. "Been a little late with the payments back home."

The sound of slicing paper was heard as they all tore open the notes. Glinda read hers the fastest. "By the gods!" She exclaimed. "I've been offered a teaching position at Alfea!" She looked around, eyes wide with excitement. "I'd be the youngest professor the school has ever had."

"Same here," Elphaba began. "To Miss Elphaba Griffin, we are pleased to announce that a position has opened up at Cloud Tower Academy for witches and would like you to fill that seat. Please contact us at your earliest convenience." She skimmed through rather quick. "Cloud Tower. Haven't been there since I graduated."

"We're going back!" Glinda went over and wrapped Elphaba in a big hug. "Just think. Soon they'll be calling us Professors Griffin and Faragonda. Who'd of thought we'd be given such an honor?"

"Not me." Elphaba shrugged her off. "I'm not going."

"Why not?"

"My time at CT wasn't exactly the best years of my life. Once I was finished I promised myself I would never go back."

"But I don't want to be teaching alone."

"Apparently you won't be." Palladium waved his note in the air. "I too have been offered a teaching position only this one at Beta Academy. It's for the Potionology Department."

"That's great!" Now she hugged Palladium. "No one knows potions like you do."

Elphaba looked over at Baltor. "What does yours say?"

"A seat on the Ministry of Dark Magic. I guess Lord Draconis hasn't forgotten about me afterall." He smirked.

"Apparently I've been given command of a ship," Atmos began. "A dreadnought to be exact. The latest in a new line of ships for the Interstellar Navy."

"Well." All eyes turned to Rienhlocke who beamed. "Looks like I can forget about the invoice afterall. Master Oberon has stepped down from the Golden Hall." He turned around. "You're all looking at the new Lord of Ferendor Fjord."

Glinda embraced Baltor then Atmos then Rienhlocke: in that order. When everyone turned to Saladin who'd yet to open his note, he merely looked away. "I don't feel like reading mine."

"Why not?" Glinda asked. "I've got a big hug for you."

"Doesn't it strike all of you as odd we're given such grandiose job offers out of the blue like this? It's a conspiracy." He turned his back on them. "They want to separate us. To disband the Company of Light so we don't talk about what we saw." He looked back. "They want to break up the team."

Every face grew sullen. Even Shamus who wasn't even a part of the team felt sorrow at the fracturing of this close-knit group.

"He's right." Rienhlocke agreed. "That's exactly what they're trying to do."

"Then what are we going to do about it?" Atmos asked.

Baltor sighed. "Guess I can forget about job advancement. Alright. We'll tell the Council they can shove it."

"No."

Baltor looked at him. "What?"

"I say we take them up on their offer. Listen, if we stay together the Council's only going to make our lives that much harder. It wouldn't surprise me if they try to put all the blame for the destruction of Domino on us as well. We'd have the media, the paparazzi, and the authorities on our ass twenty-four seven. They want to split us up to keep us quiet. So that's exactly what we'll do."

"So you want the team disbanded?" Glinda asked sadly.

"Of course not. But I think we can use this to our advantage. They'll be watching us regardless so let's play the part they want us to play. I'll return to Ferendor Fjord and become the new Lord. My newfound position will open doors previously closed to me due to my rank. I'll be able to gather Intel on the Council and feed them misinformation about my transactions. While at the Fjord I will also be able to learn new spells and abilities, making myself stronger and wiser."

"So that when the time comes to strike back," Elphaba began.

"You'll kick the crap out of the Council!" Glinda finished.

"We all will. Look, my friends. This may take a long time. It may be years before we can put our plan into motion but we must be patient. Hoard your knowledge. Make new allies and friends. Cement yourselves into a base you know is strong. Overtime we will come out of this stronger and more formidable than we are now. We will be able to do so much more as teachers and ministers than as a rogue band of ex-heroes."

"I like where you're going with this," Palladium said. "In time the Council will relax its guard and that's when we'll strike."

"Divide and conquer," muttered Baltor.

Atmos stepped forward. "I say let's do it." he raised his fist. "Fore Ameryl!"

"For Ameryl!" Glinda bit back tears.

Elphaba raised her hand, palm downward. "If we commit to this then let's do it right here. Who's in?" One by one, each member of the Company placed their hand in the circle. "Saladin?" She asked as he was the only one who did not. He was thinking about all that had been said. Rienhlocke's plan was risky but it could work. Besides, for a chance to get back at those bastards who were partially responsible for his Ameryl's death…

"I'm in." He joined the group.

Another hand entered the circle and they all turned to see Shamus with them. "I know I can never replace the friend you lost. But if there is some way I can help her death have meaning rest assured I will do everything in my power to do so. Count me in."

"We'll need all the help we can get. Welcome aboard, Shamus."

As the Company of Light, plus one, separated for what would be a long time to come, Rienhlocke stayed with Saladin. They were all alone in the hanger bay. "What do you think of Shamus?" He asked the mage. "Can he be trusted?"

"I fought with him back on Domino. He's a good lad. Strong. Brave. Loyal. Honest. Honorable. We can trust him." He massaged his temple. "Still, I'd best keep an eye on him just to make sure. He's young and can make mistakes."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I hear the entire crew is being reassigned after we dock. I'll have him assigned as my personal bodyguard so I can watch him."

"Good idea. Say, how about we have a look at that letter?"

"You go ahead. I'm not much for 'good' news at the moment."

Rienhlocke took his envelope and opened it. He read in silence. Then he smiled. "Looks like Mister Codatorta is going to be in like company." Saladin gazed at him. "You, my friend, are going to be teaching at the Red Fountain Academy for Heroics and Bravery."

"Isn't that that backwater school whose glory days are long past?"

"Perfect for a has-been hero," Rienhlocke joked but when his friend didn't laugh he added, "And the one place you can do the most good."

Saladin scoffed. "How?"

"By instilling in those boys the things Ameryl so cherished in you. This universe needs heroes, Saladin. We're in short supply these days."

There was silence again as they just stared out the airlock.

"You really think I'll make a good teacher?" Saladin asked him.

The paladin just smiled. "With you around, Saladin, any place can only take a turn for the better."


End file.
